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CHRIST'S 
SECOND  COMING  ■ 
FULFILLED 


Price  ?5  cents  per  copy,  postpaid 


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Address  orders  to 
MARION  MORRIS 

Winchester,  Indiana 


Copyright,  1917,  by 


a^,/    \         MARION  MORRIS 


Press   of 

Wm.  Mitchell  Printing  Co., 

Greenfield,   Ind. 


CHRIST'S  SECOND  COMING 
FULFILLED 

DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 


BY 

MARION  MORRIS 

A  LAYMAN 


IS  IT  INCREDIBLE? 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  are  some  of 
them  that  stand  here,  who  shall  in  no  wise  taste 
of  death,  till  they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in 
His  kingdom."     (Matt.  16:28.) 


TO  THE  READER. 


The  author  desires  to  acknowledge  his  indebt- 
edness and  to  offer  his  thanks  to  all  who  have,  in 
any  way,  contributed  to  this  work.  We  have,  of 
course,  drawn  on  all  available  sources,  yet  for  the 
proof  of  our  position,  we  have  relied  almost 
wholly  upon  the  Bible,  believing  it  to  be  its  own 
best  evidence.  Our  aim,  throughout,  has  been 
to  state  in  a  brief  straightforward,  yet  in  a  kind 
and  charitable  manner,  what  we  believe  to  be  the 
true  interpretation  of  the  principal  texts  of  the 
Scriptures  in  reference  to  the  great  subjects  herein 
treated. 

The  Scriptural  quotations  are  mostly  taken 
from  the  American  Revised  Version.  Those 
taken  from  the  Authorized  Version  are  so  desig- 
nated. 

"Since  the  sacred  leaves  to  all  are  free. 
And  men  interpret  texts,  why  should  not  we?" 


372982 


PREFACE. 


**The  weary  centuries  watch  in  vain 
The  clouds  of  heaven  for  Him." 

— Whittier. 

Generation  after  generation  has  looked  to  the 
future  for  the  fulfillment  of  prophecies  that  have 
evidently  been  fulfilled,  losing  thereby  much  of 
the  harmony,  beauty  and  comfort  in  which  the 
Scriptures  abound.  Hence  come  the  many  specu- 
lations concerning: 

THE  SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST, 
THE  DAY  OF  JUDGMENT, 
THE  END  OF  THE  WORLD, 
THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW 

EARTH, 
DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION. 

It  has  been  truly  said  that,  "He  who  sets  one 
great  truth  afloat  in  the  world  serves  his  genera- 
tion." Although  the  author  may  not  be  able  to  do 
this,  he  hopes  at  least  to  make  more  real  to  the 
reader  some  of  the  great  truths  of  the  Bible 
which  are  already  afloat. 


PREFACE 

We  believe  that  the  Son  of  Man  came  the  sec- 
ond time,  as  He  declared  He  would  come,  "in  the 
glory  of  His  Father  with  His  angels,"  and  that 
He  rendered  "unto  every  man  according  to  his 
deeds."  Also  that  some  of  them  who  stood  by  and 
heard  Jesus  speak  these  words  lived  to  see  them 
fulfilled;  and  that  Jesus  did  not  teach  that  the 
passing  away  of  heaven  over  our  heads  and  earth 
under  our  feet  would  be  simultaneous  with  His 
second  coming,  the  judgment,  and  the  end  of  the 
world. 

As  we  understand  it,  the  heaven  and  earth  that 
was  destined  to  pass  away  and  to  be  superseded 
by  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  wherein  dwell- 
eth  righteousness,  was  the  old  covenant  with  its 
priesthood  and  sacrifices  and  the  earthy  ungodly 
men  of  that  generation,  who  believed  neither  the 
writings  of  Moses  nor  the  wbrds  of  Jesus.  The 
old  covenant  was  only  a  "copy  and  shadow  of 
the  heavenly  things."  It  had,  however,  long  been 
a  heaven,  though  an  imperfect  one,  to  the  true  Is- 
raelite. But  all  these  things  were  destined  to 
give  way  to  the  new  and  perfect  covenant  in  which 
iniquity  is  forgiven,  and  sin  is  forgotten,  and 
there  would  be  forthcoming  "an  elect  race,  a 
royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  people  for 
God's  own  possession." 


PREFACE 

It  was  the  end  of  types,  examples  and  shad- 
owy things.  It  was  the  consummation  of  all 
things  that  the  prophets,  apostles,  and  Jesus  him- 
self, had  foretold  of  His  coming,  the  judgment, 
and  the  end  of  the  world. 

THE  END  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Then  shall  the  end  come';  "The  end  of  all 
things  is  at  hand";  "The  last  day";  "The  last 
hour";  and  other  Scriptural  sayings  of  similar 
import,  do  not  refer  to  the  destruction,  the  end  and 
desolation  of  this  planet.  Doubtless  the  physical 
heaven  over  our  heads  and  the  earth  beneath  our 
feet  will  pass  away  when  they  have  served  the 
purpose  for  which  they  were  created.  Probably 
this  is  the  meaning  of  the  words  of  Jesus, 
"Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,"  but  the  pass- 
ing away  of  these  is  not  simultaneous  with  the 
second  coming  of  Christ,  the  day  of  judgment, 
and  the  end  of  the  world. 

God  has  given  man  a  visible  manifestation  of 
the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  of  which  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  Christ  wias  the  consummation. 

M.  M. 

Winchester,  Ind.,  January,  1917. 


CONTENTS. 


PART    ONE 

CHRIST'S    SECOND   COMING   FULFILLED 

CHAPTER   I. 

Not  Peace  but  a  Sword. 

Page 

The   Second   Coming  Foretold 15 

Christ's  Work   16 

Christ's  Method   16 

Kingdom  of  Peace 18 

Signs  of  the  Kingdom  Fulfilled IS 

Christ  Coming  into  the  New  Kingdom 20 

Character  of  the  New  Kingdom 20 

The  Establishment  of  the  New  Kingdom  and 

the  Overthrow  of  the  Old  Powers 22 

The  Overflowed  World 23 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Destruction  of  an  Ungodly  Race  and  the 
Establishment  of  the  Inner  Kingdom. 

Not  Destruction  as  of  Old 26 

The  Destruction  of  Them  that  Obey  Not  God. .   26 

The  Disannulling  of  the  Old  Covenant 28 

The  Consuming  Fire  of  God's  Jealousy 29 


CONTENTS 

Page 

His  Coming  and  Judgment 31 

The  Dawn  of  the  Christian  Era 34 

God's  Deliverance   35 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Period  of  Transition. 

The  Fate  of  the  Holy  City  that  Had  Become 

Unholy     37 

Confirming  the  Word  by  Signs 39 

The  Gospel  Preached  to  the  Whole  World 40 

Then  Shall  the  End  Come 42 

His  Coming  Expected  by  His  Disciples 43 

Disciples  and  Prophets  Not  Mistaken 44 

The  Time  for  the  New  Kingdom  Had  Come. . .  46 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Triumph  of  Christianity. 

The  Gospels  Indicate  a  Single  Event 49 

The  Confusion  of  Other  Beliefs 52 

A  More  Hopeful  View 53 

The  New  Covenant  Maketh  a  New  Heaven  and 

a  New  Earth 56 

Although  Sin  May  Increase  for  a  Time  God's 

Word  Shall  Triumph. 58 

The    Children    of    God    to    Become    a    World 

Power    60 

Not   a   New   Gospel   nor   a   New   Faith   but   a 

Clearer  Vision    62 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  V. 

Christ  Came  in  the  Generation  then  Living. 

Page 
The  Assurance  of  His  Coming  in  that  Genera- 
tion       65 

The  Need  of  His  Coming  at  that  Time 66 

Assurance  that  the  Time  Was  at  Hand 67 

The  Blood  of  the  Righteous  as  Additional  Evi- 
dence       74 

The  Certainty  of  His  Coming  and  the  Fulfill- 
ment of  the  Predictions 75 

The  Meaning  of  the  SymboL 78 

The  Church  of  the  Lord  a  Living  Evidence. . .   79 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Wonderful  Christ. 

The  New  Covenant  and  the  New  Life 81 

Through  Christ  Man  Reaches  God 84 

The  Work  of  Christianity 84 

The  New  Heaven  and  the  New  Earth 85 


PART     TWO 

DEATH  AND   THE  RESURRECTION 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Inward  Man. 

Page 

Christ  the  First  to  Rise 87 

Twice  Born  and  Once  Risen  Christ 88 

The  Resurrection  of  the  "Inward  Man" 89 

The  Voice  of  the  Son  of  God 89 

The  Physical  Resurrection  the  Ojective  of  the 

Spiritual    91 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  Absolutely  Es- 
sential      93 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  Most  Beautiful  94 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  Is  Restful 95 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  a  Perennial  Feast 
and  Fountain    95 

CHAPTER  II. 

No  Resurrection  for  the  Outward  Man. 

"The  Things  Which  Are  Seen  Are  Temporal"  96 
Christ  Is  the  Way  and  the  Plan  of  Redemp- 
tion Is  Found  in  Him 98 

That  Which  Is  Born  of  the  Flesh  Is  Flesh 98 

The  Resurrection  Seen  in  Nature 101 


CONTENTS  r 

Paul's  Explanation  of  the  Resurrection 102 

Irreconcilable  from  a  Literal  Viewpoint 105 

Paul's   Desire    105 

The  Destiny  of  the  Outward  Man 106 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Sources-  of  Death  and  the  Resurrection. 

Page 

The  Death  of  Adam lO'^ 

The  Christ  Life  a  Deathless  Life 108 

Christ's  Love  for  Man 109 

Transforming  Power  of  Jesus 110 

Only  Two  Human  Souls  Created Ill 

The  Old  Creation  Natural  and  Earthy Ill 

The  New  Creation  Spiritual  and  Godlike 112 

Mortal  and  Immortal  114 

Sin  and  Death 115 

Physical  Death  No  Detriment 116 

Soul  Death  the  Only  Evil 117 

Life  Is  Begotten  of  the  Belief  in  the  Son  of 

Man    119 

Life  Outside  of  Christ  Is  Doomed 120 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Christ  the  Saviour  of  the  Inner  Man. 

Christ's  Mission  and  Character 121 

The  Man  of  Sorrows   123 

The  Meaning  of  Death 124 


CONTENTS 

The  New  Body 125 

The  Two  Bridegrooms  and  the  Two  Brides 126 

The    Inward    Body 126 

The  Natural  Man  and  the  Spiritual  Man 127 

The  Inner  Temple  Man's  Greatest  Treasure.  .128 
The  Death  of  the  Outward  Man  Is  of  Little 

Concern 129 

Death    and    the    Resurrection    of    the    Inner 

Man    ...131 

Miscellany    135 


PART  ONE 

CHRIST'S  SECOND  COMING 
FULFILLED 


PART  ONE 

CHRIST'S  SECOND  COMING 
FULFILLED 


CHAPTER  I 

NOT  PEACE  BUT  A  SWORD 

The  Second  Coming  Foretold. 

"Tell  us  when  shall  these  things  be  ?  And  what 
shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming  and  of  the  end  of 
the  world?"  (Matt.  24:  3.)  The  answer,  "Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  this  generation  shall  not  pass 
away  till  all  these  things  be  accomplished."  (Matt. 
24  134.)  God  said  to  Abraham  :  "I  will  make  of 
thee  a  great  nation  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  And  after  many 
generations,  "at  the  end  of  the  ages",  "in  the  eve- 
ning of  the  world",  came  the  promised  seed, — the 
long  expected  Messiah,  "who  was  foreknown,  in- 
deed, before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  but  was 
manifested  at  the  end  of  the  times  for  your  sake." 
(I  Peter  i  :2o.) 

15 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Christ's  Work. 

Christ  left  the  glory  which  He  had  with  the 
Father,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  while 
in  this  lowly  form, — persecuted,  hated,  scoffed 
at  and  scorned  by  the  authorities  of  the  Jewish 
church, — He  accomplished  that  which  has  taken 
deeper  and  deeper  hold  upon  the  minds  of  men  as 
the  centuries  have  passed.  He  came  and  sowed 
the  good  seed.  The  enemy  sowed  the  tares,  and 
the  mixture  was  allowed  to  grow  until  the  har- 
vest, then  the  Son  of  Man  came  the  second  time, 
not  a  little  child  heraled  by  the  angels,  but  a  King 
"with  power  and  great  glory  and  all  the  angels 
with  Him"  to  execute  His  word,  for  "this  genera- 
tion," said  He,  "shall  not  pass  away  till  all  these 
things  be  accomplished." 

Christ's  Method, 

John  the  Baptist  said  to  the  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ucees,  "Ye  offspring  of  vipers!  Who  warned 
you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?"  .  .  and, 
"even  now  the  ax  lieth  at  the  root  of  the  trees." 
"Every  tree  therefore  that  bringeth  not  forth 
good  fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into 
the  fire."  Again  he  declared  that  the  Messiah 
who  baptizes  with  the  Holy  Ghost  baptizes  also 
16 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

with  fire ;  "and  He  will  gather  His  wheat  into  the 
garner  but  the  chaff  He  wil  burn  up  with  un- 
quenchable fire." 

"Think  not,"  said  Christ,  "that  I  came  to  send 
peace  on  the  earth :  I  came  not  to  send  peace  but 
a  sword."  (Matt.  lo:  34.)  Again  He  asserted 
"I  came  to  cast  fire  upon  the  earth ;  and  what  do 
I  desire  if  it  is  already  kindled  ?"  .  .  "Think 
ye  that  I  am  come  to  give  peace  in  the  earth  ?  I 
tell  you,  Nay,  but  rather  division."  (Luke 
12:49-51.) 

By  reference  to  Isaiah  we  find  the  follow- 
ing :  "He  will  have  indignation  against  His  ene- 
mies. For,  behold,  Jehovah  will  come  with  fire, 
and  His  chariots  shall  be  like  the  whirlwind,  to 
render  His  anger  with  fierceness,  and  His  rebuke 
with  flames  of  fire.  For  by  fire  will  Jehovah  exe- 
cute judgment,  and  by  His  sword,  upon  all  flesh ; 
and  the  slain  of  Jehovah  shall  be  many."  (Isaiah 
66:  14-16.) 

St.  Paul  stated:  "If  the  number  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  it  is  the 
remnant  that  shall  be  saved:  for  the  Lord 'will 
execute  His  word  upon  the  earth,  finishing  it  and 
cutting  it  short."  (Rom.  9:27-28.)  "You  that 
are  afflicted,"  also  said  Paul,  "rest  with  us  at  the 
revelation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  from  heaven  with 
17 


Christ's  second  coming  fulfilled 

the  angels  of  His  power  in  flaming  fire,  rendering 
vengeance  to  them  that  know  not  God,  and  to 
them  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus : 
who  shall  suffer  punishment  even  eternal  destruc- 
tion from  the  face  of  the  Lord  and  from  the  glory 
of  His  might;'     (H  Thess.  i :  7-19.) 

"When  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  shall 
come,''  said  Jesus,  "what  will  He  do  unto  those 
husbandmen?"  They  say  unto  Him,  "He  will 
miserably  destroy  those  miserable  men,  and  will 
let  out  the  vineyard  unto  other  husbandmen." 
(Mat.  21:40-41.)  And  Jesus  having  reference 
to  this  event  said,  "These  are  days  of  vengeance 
that  all  things  that  are  written  may  be  fulfilled." 
(Luke  21 :  22.) 

Kingdom  of  Peace. 

To  my  mind  these  Scriptures  clearly  show  that 
the  reign  of  peace  could  not  begin  until  after  His 
Second  Coming,  and  the  "ax",  the  "sword"  and 
the  "fire"  had  accomplished  their  work,  and  all 
things  which  were  written  and  prophesied  had 
been  fulfilled. 

"Nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  king- 
dom against  kingdom,  and  there  shall  be  famines 
and  earthquakes  in  diverse  places.     But  all  these 
are  the  beginning  of  travail."  (Matt.  24:  7-9.) 
18 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Signs  of  the  Nezv  Kingdom  Fulfilled. 
We  quote  the  following  paragraph  from 
Peloubet's  Select  Notes.  "Wars  and  Rumors  of 
Wars."  "Josephus  gives  an  account  of  the  trou- 
blous times  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  The 
peace  that  prevailed  over  the  world  during 
Christ's  life  was  soon  broken.  Rome  had  trou- 
blous times.  Four  Roman  emperors  were  mur- 
dered in  swift  succession.  But  especially  in  Pal- 
estine the  war  fiend  ran  riot.  The  Jews  them- 
selves were  divided  into  contending  factions,  who 
slew  each  other  by  the  thousands.  The  neighbor- 
ing nations  joined  one  party  or  the  other.  Then 
the  Jews  revolted  against  the  Romans,  and  the 
Roman  armies  overran  the  whole  country.  Blood 
flowed  Hke  water."  "Earthquakes" :  "Perhaps 
no  period  in  the  world's  history  has  ever  been  so 
marked  by  these  convulsions  as  that  which  inter- 
venes between  the  Crucifixion  and  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem."  "Famines":  "A  great  famine, 
prophesied  in  Acts  ii  :26,  ocurred  A.  D.  49,  and 
another  of  the  reign  of  Claudius,  and  mentioned 
by  Josephus.  A  pestilence,  A.  D.  65,  in  a  single 
autumn,  carried  off  30,000  persons  at  Rome. 
These  are  the  beginnings  of  sorrows ;  of  travail, 
of  that  labor-pain  of  the  world  out  of  which  the 
Kingdom  of  God  is  to  be  born." 
19 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Christ  Coming  Into  the  New  Kingdom. 

"So  Christ  also,  having  been  once  offered  to 
bear  the  sins  of  many,  shall  appear  a  second  time, 
apart  from  sin,  to  them  that  wait  for  him,  unto 
salvation."    (Heb.  9  :28.) 

"That  He  may  send  the  Christ,"  said  Peter, 
"who  hath  been  appointed  for  you,  even  Jesus ; 
whom  the  heaven  must  receive  until  the  times  of 
restoration  of  all  things,  whereof  God  spake  by 
the  mouth  of  His  holy  prophets  that  have  been  of 
old."  (Acts  3:  20-21.)  "But  He,"  said  Paul, 
"when  He  offered  one  sacrifice  for  sins  forever, 
sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  henceforth 
expecting  till  His  enemies  be  made  the  footstool 
of  His  feet."  (Heb.  10:  12-13.)  And  in  the  same 
generation  in  which  "He  had  offered  one  sacri- 
fice for  sins  forever,"  He  came  the  second  time 
and  fulfilled  the  words  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Tenth  Psalm  and  made  His  enemies  His  foot- 
stool. 

Character  of  the  New  Kingdom. 

The  nobleman  who  went  into  a  far  country  to 

receive  for  himself  a  kingdom,  as  soon  as  he  had 

gained  possession  of  it,  returned  and  reckoned 

with  his  "servants  unto  whom  he  had  given  the 

20 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

money,  and  ordered  his  enemies  slain  before  him." 
(Luke  19.) 

The  Son  of  Man  shall  send  forth  His  angels, 
and  they  shall  gather  out  of  His  kingdom  all 
things  that  cause  stumbling,  and  them  that  do 
iniquity,  and  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of 
fire ;  there  shall  be  the  weeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth.  Then  shall  the  righteous  shine  forth  as 
the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father.''  (Matt. 
13:  41-42.)  Then  all  the  prophecies  relating  to 
the  judgments  of  God  were  fulfilled,  "and  the 
world  in  the  church  comes  to  be  exchanged  for 
the  church  in  the  world,''  and  the  religion  of  let- 
ter and  type  to  be  superseded  by  that  of  spirit 
and  life. 

He  came  the  second  time  to  consummate  the 
plan  of  redemption.  'When  these  things  begin 
to  come  to  pass,"  said  Christ,  "look  up  and  lift 
up  your  heads  because  your  redemption  draweth 
nigh."  (Luke  21 128.)  "Now  is  salvation  nearer 
to  us  than  when  we  first  believed."  (Rom.  13  :  11.) 
"Salvation  from  our  enemies  and  from  the  hand 
af  all  that  hate  us."    (Luke  1:7.) 

Again  Paul  says,  "Waiting  for  our  adoption, 
to-wit,  the  redemption  of  our  body"  (Rom.  8 :  23), 
having  reference  to  the  body  of  believers — the 
Church, 

21 


Christ's  second  coming  fulfilled 

The  Establishment  of  the  Nezv  Kingdom  and  the 
Overthrow  of  the  Old  Powers. 

He  came  with  power  and  great  glory  to  vindi- 
cate His  people,  and  cause  the  overthrow  of  the 
wicked,  and  to  establish  the  kingdom  of  right- 
eousness, peace  and  joy  forevermore  on  the  earth, 
and  in  earth, — in  earthen  vessels. 

Peter  says,  "Whose  sentence  now  from  of  old 
lingereth  not,  and  their  destruction  slumbereth 
not."  (H  Peter  2:3.) 

This  great  event  was  the  fulfillment  of  a  proph- 
ecy more  than  three  thousand  years  old.  It  came 
down  through  the  ages  undimmed  by  time.  But 
it  was  the  Son  of  Man  who  first  clearly  announced 
the  coming  retribution,  for  to  proclaim  the 
"day  of  vengeance"  was  a  part  of  the  message 
that  God  sent  Him  to  proclaim.  (Isa.  61 :  2.)  How 
clearly  He  proclaimed  it  may  be  seen  in  the  Syn- 
optic Gospels. 

That  Jesus  and  His  diciples  did  not  have  ref- 
erence to  the  passing  away  of  the  actual  heavens 
above  us  and  the  earth  beneath,  in  connection  with 
His  second  coming,  the  Bible,  as  we  understand  it, 
clearly  proves.  We  neither  know  how  long  this 
sphere  has  been  rolling  in  its  orbit,  nor  how  long 
it  will  continue  thus  to  roll.  The  Bible  is  as  silent 
m       22 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

in  respect  to  its  ending  as  it  is  with  regard  to  its 
beginning. 

But  not  so  with  the  heaven  and  earth  to  which 
Jesus  and  His  disciples  referred.  As  we  under- 
stand it,  they  had  reference  to  the  old  covenant, 
and  the  destruction  and  dispersion  of  ungodly 
men.  While  the  old  covenant  was  waxing  old 
and  nigh  unto  vanishing  away,  the  New  Covenant 
was  prepared  to  supersede  it  and  to  be  estab- 
lished at  the  final  passing  away  of  the  old.  The 
new  Israel  was  also  forming  and  ready  to  come 
into  their  promised  inheritance,  and  like  the  Israel 
of  old,  gradually  to  take  possession  of  the  land, 
so  that,  as  the  old  heaven  and  earth  passed  away, 
the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  superseded 
them. 

The  Overflozved  World. 

In  the  third  chapter  of  II  Peter  the  apostle  de- 
clares that  a  world  perished  in  the  v/aters  of  a 
flood,  and  in  reply  to  the  mockers  of  the  last 
days  who  asked,  ''Where  is  the  promise  of  his 
coming?"  he  says,  "For  this  they  wilfully  forget, 
that  there  were  heavens  from  of  old,  and  an  earth 
compacted  out  of  water  and  amidst  water,  by  the 
word  of  God  ;  by  which  means  the  world  that  then 
was,  being  overflowed  with  water,  perished;  but 
23 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

the  heavens  that  now  are,  and  the  earth,  by  the 
same  word  have  been  stored  up  for  fire,  being  re- 
served against  the  day  of  judgment  and  destruc- 
tion of  ungodly  men."  (II  Peter  3  :  5-7.) 

Here  we  see  that  Peter  says  the  world  that  then 
was,  being  overflowed  with  water,  perished.  He 
did  not  have  reference  to  the  physical  earth,  seas 
and  skies.  The  same  physical  heaven  and  earth 
that  stood  before  the  flood  stands  today.  He  had 
reference  to  the  destruction  of  an  ungodly  race. 
The  ungodly  antediluvians  who  mocked  at  the 
warnings  of  Noah  were  suddenly  destroyed  "and 
without  remedy."  So  these  scoffers  might  ex- 
pect to  perish  by  the  judgments  of  God,  but  as 
the  physical  heaven  and  earth  did  not  pass  away 
in  the  waters  of  the  flood,  may  we  not  reasonably 
conclude  that  Peter  did  not  wish  to  say  that  the 
physical  heaven  and  earth  would  perish  at  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  ? 

But  nearly  twenty-four  centuries  after  the  ante- 
deluvian  world  had  been  destroyed  by  the  waters 
of  a  flood,  another  world  was  destroyed,  not  by 
the  waters  of  a  flood  but  by  the  "fires  of  His 
jealousy,"  "by  desolation  and  destruction,  and  the 
famine  and  the  sword." 

But  just  as  the  earth  that  perished  in  the  great 
deluge  was  earthy,  ungodly  men,  so  was  the 
24 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

earth  that  was  destroyed  at  the  end  of  the  world 
earthy  ungodly  men,  and  as  the  living  earth  per- 
ished in  the  great  deep,  in  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
and  in  the  Red  Sea,  so  the  living  earth  perished 
at  the  end  of  the  world.  "O  earth,  earth,  earth, 
hear  the  words  of  Jehovah."     ( Jer.  22  :  29.) 


25 


CHAPTER  11. 

THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  AN   UNGODLY  RACE  AND  THE 
ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  INNER  KINGDOM. 

Not  Destruction  as  of  Old. 

God  did  not  bring  destruction  upon  the  beasts 
of  the  field,  nor  the  birds  of  the  air  as  he  did  at 
the  time  of  the  great  deluge,  for  "Jehovah  said 
in  his  heart,  'I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground 
any  more  for  man's  sake, — neither  will  I  smite 
any  more  everything  living  as  I  have  done.'  " 
(Gen.  8:  21.) 

The  Destruction  of  Them  That  Obey  Not  God. 

Time,  and,  we  believe,  the  Scripture  also, 
proves  that  Peter  did  not  have  in  mind  the  burn- 
ing up  of  the  immeasurable  heavens  above  us, 
nor  the  "everlasting  hills"  about  us  when  he  said, 
"They  shall  give  account  to  him  that  is  ready  to 
judge  the  living  and  the  dead." 

"The  time  is  come  for  judgment  to  begin  at 
the  house  of  God ;  and  if  it  begin  first  at  us,  what 
shall  be  the  end  of  them  that  obey  not  the  gospel 
of  God?" 

26 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

'The  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand/' 

Nor  when  he  said :  'The  day  of  the  Lord  will 
come  as  a  thief;  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall 
pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements 
shall  be  dissolved  with  fervent  heat.  But  accord- 
ing to  his  promise,  we  look  for  new  heavens  and 
a  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness/' 
(II  Peter— 3.) 

Peter  evidently  had  reference  to  the  fiery  flames 
of  that  symbolic  fire  that  Jesus  had  already  kin- 
dled (Luke  12:49),  which  is  also  mentioned  in 
Luke  3 :  16,  17;  I  Cor.  3 :  13 ;  II  Thes.  i,  8,  and 
other  Scriptures  of  similar  import  both  in  the 
Old  and  New  Testament,  for,  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost in  which  Christianity  was  inaugurated, 
Peter  looked  down  the  centuries  to  far  off  gen- 
erations that  should  receive  the  promise,  and  said, 
"For  to  you  is  the  promise,  and  to  your  children, 
and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the 
Lord  shall  call  unto  him."     (Acts  2  :^g.) 

Neither  did  Paul  have  reference  to  the  removal 
or  destruction  of  the  material  world,  nor  the 
planets  over  our  heads,  when  he  said:  "Whose 
voice  then  shook  the  earth;  but  now  he  hath 
promised,  saying,  yet  once  more  will  I  make  the 
earth  to  tremble,  not  the  earth  only,  but  also  the 
27 


CHRIST^S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

heaven.  And  this  word,  yet  once  more  signifieth 
the  removing  of  those  things  that  are  shaken,  as 
of  things  that  have  been  made,  that  those  things 
which  are  not  shaken  may  remain.  Wherefore, 
receiving  a  kingdom  that  cannot  be  shaken,  let 
us  have  grace,  whereby  we  may  offer  service 
well-pleasing  to  God  with  reverence  and  awe; 
for  our  God  is  a  consuming  fire."  (Heb.  12:26, 
29.) 

The  Disannulling  of  the  Old  Covenant, 

Paul  had  reference  to  the  Old  Covenant,  the 
temporary  or  time  covenant,  which  was  not  de- 
signed to  be  permanent,  only  a  copy  and  shadow 
of  the  heavenly  things;  for  he  says:  "There  is 
a  disannulling  of  a  foregoing  commandment,  be- 
cause of  it  weakness  and  unprofitableness,  for  the 
law  made  nothing  perfect."  (Heb.  7:18,  19.)  J 
"For,  if  that  first  covenant  had  been  faultless, 
then  would  no  place  have  been  sought  for  a 
second — but  that  which  is  becoming  old  and 
waxeth  aged  is  nigh  unto  vanishing  away."  (Heb. 

8:7,13.) 

That  Paul  did  not  have  reference  to  a  removal 
of  the  earth  beneath  our  feet  nor  to  the  starry 
heavens  overhead  is  clear  from  the  following 
Scriptures. 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMInG    FULFILLED 

"That  in  the  ages  to  come  he  might  show  the 
exceeding  riches  of  his  grace  in  kindness  toward 
us  in  Christ  Jesus."  (Eph.  2:7),  and  ''Unto 
him  be  the  glory  in  the  church,  and  in  Christ 
Jesus  unto  all  generations  for  ever  and  ever." 
(Eph.  3:21.) 

The  Consuming  Fire  of  God's  Jealousy. 

It  is  therefore  clear  that  neither  Peter  nor  Paul 
associated  Christ's  coming  with  the  angels  of  His 
power  in  flaming  fire,  nor  the  removing  of  things 
shaken,  with  a  change  in  the  physical  universe ; 
nor  did  Jesus  and  His  disciples,  as  we  see  it,  have 
any  more  reference  whatever  to  any  physical 
change  of  the  earth  at  His  second  coming,  than 
did  the  prophet  Isaiah  at  His  first  coming,  as 
recorded  by  St.  Luke. 

He  says :  "Make  ye  ready  the  way  of  the  Lord. 
Make  His  paths  straight.  Every  valley  shall  be 
filled,  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be 
brought  low,  and  the  crooked  shall  become 
straight,  and  the  rough  ways  smooth,  and  all 
flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God."  (Luke  3: 

5.6.) 

The  mountains  and  hills  and  valleys  remain 
as  they  were  when  these  words  were  first  written. 
29 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED  ^ 

He.  had  reference  to  a  moral  leveling  and  not  the 
cutting  down  of  mountains  and  hills  and  the  fill- 
ing up  of  valleys. 

While  literal  fire  was  a  large  factor  in  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  the  holy  temple  and  many 
persons,  Zephaniah,  the  prophet,  has  probably 
made  clearer  than  any  other  sacred  writer  the 
meaning  of  fire  and  earth  in  this  event. 

He  says:  "The  whole  land  shall  be  devoured 
by  the  fire  of  His  jelaousy  for  He  will  make  an 
end,  yea,  a  terrible  end,  of  all  them  that  dwell  in 
the  land.''  (Zeph.  i :  i8.)  'Tor  My  determina- 
tion is  to  gather  the  nations,  that  I  may  assemble 
the  kingdoms  to  pour  upon  them  Mine  indigna- 
tion, even  all  My  fierce  anger ;  for  all  the  earth 
shall  be  devoured  with  the  fire  of  My  jealousy. 
For  then  will  I  turn  to  the  people  a  pure  language, 
that  they  may  all  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah 
to  serve  Him  with  one  consent."     (Zeph.  3:8,  9.) 

Malachi,  the  last  of  the  Old  Testament  pro- 
phets, speaks  the  same  truth.  He  says:  "Be- 
hold the  day  cometh,  it  burneth  as  a  furnace ;  and 
all  the  proud. and  all  that  work  wickedness,  shall 
be  stubble;  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn 
them  up,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave 
them  neither  root  nor  branch.  But  unto  you  that 
fear  My  name  shall  the  sun  of  righteousness 
30 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

arise  with  healing  in  its  wings ;  and  ye  shall  go 
forth  and  gambol  as  calves  of  the  stall.  And  ye 
shall  tread  down  the  wicked,  for  they  shall  be 
ashes  under  the  soles  of  your  feet  in  the  day  that 
I  make,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts."     (Mai.  4:3.) 

These  Scriptures  show  very  plainly  that  it  was 
the  earthy,  ungodly  men  of  which  the  prophets 
spake  and  not  the  earth  beneath  our  feet. 

There  is  a  limit  to  the  forebearance  of  even 
the  Infinite  One.  "He  will  not  always  chide," 
said  David,  "neither  will  He  keep  His  anger 
forever." 

God  gave  "that  crooked  and  perverse  genera- 
tion" not  only  forty  days  but  nearly  forty  years 
in  which  to  repent  and  accept  the  preaching  of 
one  greater  than  Jonah  that  they  might  escape 
destruction,  for  it  had  been  declared  "that  every 
soul  that  shall  not  hearken  to  that  Prophet,  shall 
be  utterly  destroyed  from  among  the  people." 
(Acts  S'-^S') 

His  Coming  and  Judgment. 

But  evil  men  waxed  worse  and  worse  and 
caused  the  love  of  many  to  grow  cold.  Finally 
His  long  suffering  came  to  an  end.  The  cries 
of  His  elect  for  deliverance  from  the  hand  of  all 
their  enemies  had  its  effect. 
31 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

"And  shall  not  God/'  says  Jesus,  "avenge  His 
elect,  that  cry  to  Him  day  and  night,  and  yet  He 
is  long  suffering  over  them.  I  say  unto  you  that 
He  will  avenge  them  speedily."  (Luke  i8:  7,  8.) 
Again  He  says:  "Pray  ye  that  your  flight  be 
not  in  the  winter,  neither  on  a  Sabbath ;  for  then 
shall  be  great  tribulation,  such  as  hath  not  been 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world  until  now,  no, 
nor  ever  shall  be."  Never  again  such  great  trib- 
ulation, not  that  there  never  would  be  greater  loss 
of  life  and  property.  And  like  the  waters  of  the 
great  flood,  it  would  suddenly  come  upon  them. 

"Then  shall  two  men  be  in  the  field — two 
women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill,  one  is  taken 
and  one  is  left."  One  is  taken  and  destroyed  and 
the  other  is  left  untouched. 

This  event  the  revelator  saw  in  his  vision  and 
said:  "The  kings  of  the  earth  and  the  princes, 
and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  rich,  and  the 
strong,  and  every  bondman  and  freeman  hid 
themselves  in  the  caves  and  in  the  rocks  of  the 
mountains;  and  they  say  to  the  mountains  and 
the  rocks,  Tall  on  us  and  hide  us  from  the  face 
of  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb;  for  the  great  day  of  their 
wrath  has  come ;  and  who  is  able  to  stand  T  " 
(Rev.  6:15-17.) 

32 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

God  began  at  a  very  early  date  to  reveal  unto 
His  prophets  the  day  of  judgment  and  destruction 
of  ungodly  men.  Enoch  also,  the  seventh  from 
Adam,  prophesied  of  these,  saying:  "Behold 
the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thousand  of  His  saints, 
to  execute  judgment  upon  all,  and  to  convince  all 
that  are  ungoldly  among  them  of  all  their  ungodly 
deeds  which  they  have  ungodly  committed,  and 
of  all  their  hard  speeches  which  ungodly  sinners 
have  spoken  against  Him."     (Jude  14,  15.) 

Having  the  prophecies  of  Enoch,  Moses, 
Isaiah,  David,  Ezekial,  Daniel,  Joel,  Zephaniah, 
Malachi  and  others  who  spake  of  this  great  judg- 
ment, Peter  could  refer  to  the  long  lingering  sen- 
tence and  say,  * 'Whose  sentence  now  from  of  old 
lingereth  not,  and  their  destruction  slumbereth 
not."  (H  Peter  2:3),  and  Paul  declared,  "The 
wrath  is  come  upon  them  to  the  uttermost."  (I 
Thess.  2:  16),  and  Matthew,  "But  the  king  was 
wroth,  and  he  sent  his  armies,  and  destroyed 
those  murderers  and  burned  their  city.  Then 
saith  he  to  his  servants,  'The  wedding  is  ready,* 
but  they  that  were  bidden  were  not  worthy." 
(Matt.  22:7,  8.) 

These  Scriptures  evidently  have  reference  to 
the  day  of  judgment,  as  do  the  parables  of  the 
tares  of  the  field  and  of  the  net  that  was  cast 
33 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

into  the  sea ;  and  likewise  those  in  the  24th  and 
25th  chapters  of  Matthew  and  other  kindred 
Scriptures. 

Milton  would  have  expressed  a  great  truth  of 
revelation  had  he  said,  "God  did  not,"  instead  of 
"God  will  not  defer  the  vindication  of  the  glory 
of  His  name." 

The  Damn  of  the  Christian  Era, 

That  was  the  end  of  a  long  twilight  of  ever 
thickening  gloom,  which  ended  with  the  coming 
of  the  Bridegroom  at  "midnight." 

Then  came  the  dawn  of  a  new  day ;  the  bright- 
ening of  the  morning  of  the  Christian  era ;  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  unseen  inner  kingdom,  the 
Eden  of  love,  far  exceeding  the  primeval  Eden — 
the  early  dawn  of  the  millenium,  in  which  Christ 
is  to  reign  not  only  a  thousand  years,  but  on  and 
on.  (See  II  Peter  i  :ii ;  also  Luke  i  :33),  "for  He 
is  'King,  Priest  and  Prophet  of  His  people  for- 
evermore — the  Lord  of  the  hearts  and  minds  of 
men,  not  the  ruler  over  an  outward  kingdom  on 
earth." 

Paul  saw  the  approaching  day  and  said :  "The 
night  is  far  spent,  and  the  day  is  at  hand."  (Rom. 
13:12.) 

34 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

And  Peter  said :    "Whereunto  ye  do  well  that 
ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a  lamp  shining  in  a  dark 
place,  until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day  star  arise  ^ 
in  your  hearts."     (II  Peter  i :  19.) 

Zachariah  looked  down  through  nearly  six  cen- 
turies to  the  evening  of  the  world,  and  saw  the 
new  unending  day  and  said :  "It  shall  be  one  day 
which  is  known  unto  J  ehovah ;  not  day,  and  not 
night;  but  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  at  evening 
time  there  shall  be  light."     (Zech.  14:  7.) 

God's  Deliverance, 

Paul  said  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  ''I  have 
great  sorrow  and  unceasing  pain  in  my  heart. 
For  I  could  wish  that  I  myself  were  anathema 
from  Christ  for  my  brethrens'  sake,  my  kinsmen 
according  to  the  flesh;  who  are  Israelites; — of 
whom  is  Christ  according  to  the  flesh."  (Rom. 
9:1,  2.) 

But  a  hardening,  in  part,  befell  the  chosen 
people.  Their  eyes  were  blinded.  "They  stum- 
bled at  the  stone  of  stumbling."  "They  knew  not 
the  time  of  their  visitation,"  nor  the  time  of  their 
destruction  until  it  came  upon  them. 

But  before  their  final  overthrow,  God  raised 
up  "an  elect  race,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy 
35 


Christ's  second  coming  fulfilled 

nation,"  which  they  persecuted  from  city  to  city 
and  caused  them  to  cry  out  unto  God  day  and 
night  for  deliverance,  as  did  His  people  under 
the  cruel  taskmasters  in  Egypt.  And  as  God  came 
dowm  and  delivered  His  people  and  destroyed 
Pharoah  and  his  mighty  host  in  the  Red  Sea,  so 
the  Son  of  Man  came  down  with  his  army  of 
angels  and  delivered  the  new  Israel  and  caused 
the  overthrow  of  His  enemies  and  all  that  lay 
across  the  pathway  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 


30 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  PERIOD  OF  TRANSITION. 

The  Fate  of  the  Holy  City  That  Had  Become 
Unholy. 

Alas!  The  Holy  City  whose  very  stones  were 
dear  to  those  that  loved  her,  was  holy  no  longer. 
The  Son  of  Man  had  foretold  this,  the  greatest 
of  all  tribulations.  '*For  when  He  drew  nigh, 
He  saw  the  city  and  wept  over  it,  saying,  'If  thou 
hadst  known  in  this  day,  even  thou,  the  things 
which  belong  unto  peace !  But  now  they  are  hid 
from  thine  eyes.  For  the  days  shall  come  upon 
thee,  when  thine  enemies  shall  cast  up  a  bank 
about  thee  and  compass  thee  round,  and  keep 
thee  in  on  every  side,  and  shall  dash  thee  to  the 
ground,  and  thy  children  with  thee;  and  they 
shall  not  leave  in  thee  one  stone  upon  another, 
because  thou  knewest  not  the  time  of  thy  visita- 
tion.' "     (Luke  19:  41-44.) 

While  on  His  last  weary  journey,  Jesus  turned 

unto  the  weeping  women  who  were  following 

Him  and  said,  ''Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep 

not  for  Me,  but  weep  for  yourselves  and  for  your 

37 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

children.  For  behold  the  days  are  coming,  in 
which  they  shall  say,  'Blessed  are  the  barren,  and 
the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the  breasts  that 
never  gave  suck.  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say 
to  the  mountains.  Fall  on  us;  and  to  the  hills. 
Cover  us.'  "     (Luke  23  :  28-30.) 

Jesus  had  already  declared  that  "except  those 
days  had  been  shortened,  no  flesh  would  have 
been  saved;  but  for  the  elect's  sake,  those  days 
shall  be  shortened."     (Matt.  4:22.) 

Paul,  having  this  great  tribulation  in  mind,  ad- 
vised a  temporary  suspension  of  marriage  and 
that  those  that  had  wives  be  as  though  they  had 
none.     (I  Cor.  7.) 

"Behold,"  says  he,  "the  goodness  and  severity 
of  God;  toward  them  that  fell,  severity;  but  to- 
ward thee,  God's  goodness,  if  thou  continue  in 
His  goodness ;  otherwise  thou  also  shalt  be  cut 
off,  and  they  also,  if  they  continue  not  in  their 
unbelief,  shall  be  grafted  in."    (Rom.  11 :  22-23.) 

And  so  God  has  revealed  not  only  His  great 
love  for  men,  but  also  His  great  wrath  against 
all    ungodliness    and    unrighteousness    of    men, 
who  hinder  the  truth  in  unrighteousness."  (Rom. 
1-18.)     It  is  as  Browning  has  said: — 
"I  spake  as  I  saw. 
Airs  love,  yet  all's  law/' 
38 


Christ's  second  coming  fulfilled 

Confirming  the  Word  by  Signs. 

There  was  an  overlapping  of  the  covenants 
from  the  Day  of  Pentecost  when  God  began  to 
write  His  law's  upon  the  hearts  of  His  people, 
until  the  fall  of  Judaism  and  the  destruction  of 
antichrists  about  thirty-seven  years  later.  During 
this  period  of  transition  the  preaching  of  the  dis- 
ciples was  accompanied  by  signs.  Jesus  said, 
"Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  (all  the  days,  marg.) 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."     (Matt.  28-20.) 

Again  He  said :  "These  signs  shall  accompany 
them  that  believe:  In  my  name  shall  they  cast 
out  demons ;  they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues ; 
they  shall  take  up  serpents,  and  if  they  drink  any 
deadly  thing,  it  shall  in  no  wise  hurt  them ;  they 
shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover, 
and  they  went  forth,  and  preached  everywhere, 
the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming  the 
word  by  the  signs  that  followed."  Mark  16: 
17,  18,  also  Matt.  10:8.)  Heal  the  sick,  raise 
the  dead,  cleanse  the  lepers,  cast  out  demons. 

That  the  Lord  wlould  be  with  them  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  confirming  the  word  by  these  mirac- 
ulous manifestations  of  His  power,  is  clear.  To 
me,  it  is  also  clear  that  some  of  the  disciples  who 
heard  Jesus  speak  these  parting  words,  lived  to 
39 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

see  the  end  of  the  world.  "But  now  once  in  the 
end  of  the  world  hath  He  appeared  to  put  away 
sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself."  (Heb.  9:26, 
A.  V.) 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  shall  not  have  gone 
through  the  cities  of  Israel  till  the  Son  of  Man  be 
come."~  (Matt.  10:23.) 

The  Gospel  Preached  to  the  Whole  World. 

"This  gospel  of  the  kingdom,"  said  Jesus, 
"shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world  for  a  testi- 
mony unto  all  nations ;  and  then  shall  the  end 
come."     (Matt.  24:14.) 

That  the  gospel  was  preached  in  all  the  known 
world,  and  that  it  w^s  accomplished  in  the  gen- 
eration then  living,  the  following  Scriptures 
clearly  show.  Just  before  He  was  received  up 
into  heaven,  Jesus  said  unto  the  little  company  of 
believers  that  were  gathered  around  Him,  "Ye 
shall  receive  power  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come 
upon  you;  and  ye  shall  be  My  witnesses  both  in 
Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea  and  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth."  (Acts 
1:8.)  "And  they  went  forth  and  preached  every- 
where, the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  con- 
firming the  word  by  the  signs  that  followed." 
(Mark  16:  20.) 

40 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

And  after  a  few  years,  Paul,  who  "labored 
more  abundantly  than  they  all,"  was  enabled  to 
say,  "First,  I  thank  my  God  through  Jesus  Christ, 
for  you  all,  that  your  faith  is  proclaimed  through- 
out the  whole  world."     (Rom.  i  :8.) 

"But  I  say,  did  they  not  hear?  Yea,  verily, 
their  sound  went  out  into  all  the  earth,  and  their 
words  unto  the  ends  of  the  world."  (Rom. 
io:i8.) 

"According  to  the  commandment  of  the"  eternal 
God,  is  made  known  unto  all  the  nations."  (Rom. 
16:26.) 

"Which  is  come  unto  you ;  even  as  it  is  also  in 
all  the  world  bearing  fruit  and  increasing."  (Col. 

1:6.) 

"If  so  be  that  ye  continue  in  the  faith,  grounded 
and  steadfast,  and  not  moved  away  from  the  hope 
of  the  gospel  which  ye  heard,  which  was  preached 
in  all  creation  under  heaven;  whereof  I,  Paul, 
was  made  a  minister."     (Col.  i :  23.) 

For  the  rapidity  with  which  Christianity  spread 
over  the  world  until  the  latter  part  of  the  first 
century,  we  have  not  only  the  words  of  Holy 
Writ,  but  also  the  words  of  Gibbon  the  His- 
torian. 

There  is  therefore  abundant  evidence  that  the 
41 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

gospel  was  preached  in  all  the  known  world  in 
that  generation. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  "J^st  One,"  could 
not,  in  justice,  return  to  judge  the  world  until 
all  the  world  had  heard  the  gospel. 

Then  Shall  the  End  Come. 

Although  Jesus  'knew  not  the  day  nor  the  hour 
when  these  things  which  He  predicted  would  be 
accomplished,  yet  he  knew  it  would  all  be  accom- 
plished in  the  existing  generation,  for  he  said  to 
His  disciples:  ''This  generation  shall  not  pass 
away  till  all  these  things  be  accomplished."  It 
is  also  evident  that  the  disciples  so  understood  it ; 
for  while  the  signs  that  should  precede  His  com- 
ing were  being  fulfilled,  they  sent  letters  to  the 
churches  throughout  the  land,  declaring  that 
"The  coming  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand."  (James 
5:8.) 

"Behold  the  Judge  standeth  before  the  doors." 
(James  5:9.) 

"The  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand."  (I  Peter 

4:7.) 

"Little  children,  it  is  the  last  hour;  and  as  ye 
heard  that  antichrist   cometh,   even  now   there 
have  arisen  many  antichrists ;  whereby  we  know 
that  it  is  the  last  hour."     (John  2:  18.) 
4'2 


CHRIST^S    SECOND    COMING    FULF'ILLED 

His  Coming  Expected  By  His  Disciples. 

To  Peter,  the  transfiguration  of  Christ  on  the 
holy  mount  was  a  guarantee  of  His  coming. 
"We  did  not,"  said  he,  "follow  cunningly  devised 
fables,  when  we  made  known  unto  you  the  power 
and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  we 
were  eye  witnesses  of  His  majesty."  (H  Peter 
i:i6.) 

Although  the  gospel  which  Paul  preached 
came  to  Him  "through  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  it  is  of  no  less  authority  than  that  of  the 
other  apostles  who  journeyed  with  Jesus  during 
His  earthly  ministry. 

When  Paul  wrote  his  epistle  to  the  Thessalo- 
nians,  he  evidently  expected  a  near  return  of  the 
Lord.  He  says:  "The  God  of  peace  Himself 
sanctify  you  wholly  and  may  your  spirit  and  soul 
and  body  be  preserved  entire,  without  blame  at 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faithful 
is  he  that  calleth  you  who  will  also  do  it." 
(Thess.  s:  13.) 

These  epistles  are  the  earliest  of  PauFs  writings 
and  in  them  he  did  not  wish  to  say  that  "The  day 
of  the  Lord  is  just  at  hand."     (H  Thess.  2:2,) 

Later  on  he  wrote  to  the  Corinthians,  Phillip- 
43 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

ians  and  Hebrews'^,  saying,  "This  I  say,  brethren, 
the  time  is  shortened."     (I.  Cor.  7:29.) 

"The  Lord  is  at  hand."     ( Phil  4  4,  5- ) 

"Exhorting  one  another ;  and  so  much  the  more, 
as  ye  see  the  day  drawing  nigh."     (Heb.  10:25.) 

"For  yet  a  very  Httle  while.  He  that  cometh 
shall  come  and  shall  not  tarry."     (Heb.  10:37.) 

Also  the  very  last  message  of  the  Bible  is  "He 
who  testifieth  these  things  saith  Yea;  I  come 
quickly.    Amen  ;  Come,  Lord  Jesus. 

Disciples  and  Prophets  Not  Mistaken. 

We  are  not,  it  seems  to  me,  justified  in  claiming 
that  the  disciples  were  mistaken,  for  Jesus  had 
said  to  them,  "When  He,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is 
come,  he  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth — and 
he  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that  are  to 
come."     (John  16:  13.) 

Paul  says:  "As  touching  the  gospel  which 
was  preached  by  me,  that  it  is  not  after  man.  For 
neither  did  I  receive  it  from  man,  nor  was  I 
taught  it,  but  it  came  to  me  through  the  revela- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ."    (Gal.  i :  11,  12.) 

The  prophet  Daniel  evidently  had  a  vision  and 
a  revelation  of  this  great  event.     He  says:     "I 


•  Probably  to  the  Hebrews,  for  he  was  a  "Hebrew  of 
Hebrews,"  and  had  great  sorrow  and  unceasing  pain  in  His 
heart  for  them.      (Rom.    9.) 

44 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold,  there  came 
with  the  clouds  of  heaven  one  like  unto  a  son  of 
Man,  and  He  came  even  unto  the  ancient  of  days, 
and  they  brought  Him  near  before  Him.  And 
there  was  given  Him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a 
kingdom,  that  all  the  peoples,  nations  and  lan- 
guages should  serve  Him;  His  dominion  is  an 
everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away, 
and  His  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  de- 
stroyed."    (Dan.  7:13,  14b.) 

In  the  twelfth  chapter  he  says:  'There  shall 
be  a  time  of  trouble,  such  as  never  was  since 
there  was  a  nation,  even  to  that  same  time ;  and 
at  that  time  thy  people  shall  be  delivered,  every 
one  that  shall  be  found  written  in  the  book  . 
but  thou,  O  Daniel,  shut  up  the  words,  and  seal 
the  book,  even  to  the  time  of  the  end." 

St.  John,  it  is  believed,  was  the  only  apostle 
who  survived  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  and,  it  is  also 
believed,  that  he  wrote  the  book  of  Revelations 
about  the  year  68,  two  years  prior  to  that  time, 
That  it  was  written  a  short  time  before  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord  and  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  the 
book  itself  is  the  best  evidence,  for  in  the  begin- 
ning he  says : 

''The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God 
45 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

gave  Him  to  show  unto  His  servants,  even  the 
things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass/' 

In  the  third  chapter,  he  says  of  that  faultless 
Philadelphia  church,  "Because  thou  didst  keep 
the  word  of  my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee 
from  the  hour  of  trial,  that  hour  which  is  to 
come  upon  the  whole  world,  to  try  them  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth.  I  come  quickly ;  hold  fast 
that  which  thou  hast,  that  no  one  take  thy  crown/' 

Unlike  Daniel's  book,  this  one  was  to  remain 
unsealed,  for  the  angel  said:  "Seal  not  up  the 
words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book ;  for  the  time 
is  at  hand."    (Rev.  22 :  10.) 

The  Time  for  the  Nezv  Kingdom  Had  Come, 

The  time  for  the  consummation  of  all  these 
things  had  come. 

The  coming  of  the  Lord  and  the  day  of  judg- 
ment were  near  at  hand. 

The  Judge  was  standing  before  the  doors; 
there  was  no  time  for  change  of  character  nor 
for  foolish  virgins  to  purchase  oil. 

"He  that  is  unrighteous,  let  him  do  unrighte- 
ousness still ;  and  he  that  is  filthy,  let  "him  be 
made  filthy  still;  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let 
him  do  righteousness  still;  and  he  that  is  holy, 
46 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

let  him  be  made  holy  still.  Behold  I  come  quickly ; 
and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  render  to  each  man 
according  as  his  work  is."     (Rev.  22:  11-12.) 

In  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Daniel  we  see  that 
"when  they  have  made  an  end  of  breaking  in 
pieces  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  all  these 
things  shall  be  finished."  About  six  centuries 
later  their  power  was  broken,  their  kingdom 
taken  from  them  and  the  scepter  had  departed. 
This  great  event  was  the  end  of  time  or  the  time 
covenant.  It  was  also  the  finishing  of  the 
"mystery  of  God,  according  to  the  good  tidings 
which  He  declared  to  His  servants,  the  prophets." 
(Rev.  10:7.) 

It  was  the  opening  of  the  last  "seal,  and  the 
sounding  of  the  last  trumpet;"  it  was  the  exe- 
cuting of  "His  word  upon  the  earth,  finishing  it 
and  cutting  it  short."  (Rom.  9:  28)  ;  it  was  the 
end  of  the  days  of  vengeance  as  foretold  by 
Christ  Himself;  (Luke  21:22),  and  was  the 
fulfillment  of  the  long  foretold  catastrophe.  In 
short,  it  wias  the  "end  of  all  things,"  as  declared 
by  the  apostle  Peter  and  the  "making  of  all  things 
new,"  as  declared  by  John  the  Revelator. 

The  "last  days"  to  which  Joel,  Paul  and  Peter 
referred  were  the  last  days  of  a  dying  world. 
47 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

(See  Acts  2 :  16,  17,  and  II  Tim.  3 :    1,2,  3,  and 
II  Peter  3:  3.) 

Not  many  years  intervened  between  the  great 
outpouring  of  the  spirit  and  the  great  declension 
that  followed.  Finally  "the  last  days"  with  the 
spiritual  night  came  to  an  end,  and  we  are  now 
living  in  God's  eternal  day.  "The  night  is  far 
spent,"  said  Paul,  "and  the  day  is  at  hand." 
(Rom.  13: 12.) 


48 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   TRIUMPH    OF    CHRISTIANITY. 

The  Gospels  Indicate  a  Single  Event. 

It  is  believed  by  many  that  the  24th  and  25th 
chapters  of  Matthew  predict  two  great  events,  one 
of  which  has  already  been  fulfilled,  the  other  to 
take  place  at  some  future  time,  known  only  to  the 
Father;  also,  that  the  24th  chapter  refers  to  the 
overthrow  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  the  25th  to 
the  transactions  of  a  final  judgment. 

That  it  is  one  discourse  divided  into  two  parts 
is  evident;  but  can  they  actually  be  divided? 
What  terms  are  used  in  the  one  that  are  not  used 
with  all  their  force  in  the  other?  In  the  24th 
chapter,  Jesus  says:  "Watch  therefore,  for  ye 
know  not  on  what  day  your  Lord  cometh" ;  in  the 
25th  chapter,  "Watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  not 
the  day  nor  the  hour."  In  the  24th  chapter, 
"They  shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  on  the 
clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory. 
And  He  shall  send  forth  His  angels  with  a  great 
sound  of  a  trumpet" ;  in  the  25th  chapter,  "When 
the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  His  glory,  and  all 
49 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

the  angels  with  Him,  then  shall  He  sit  on  the 
throne  of  His  glory." 

The  coming  of  Christ  with  His  angels,  as  pre- 
dicted in  the  i6th  chapter  of  Matthew,  is  in  per- 
fect harmony  with  that  of  the  24th  and  25th  chap- 
ters of  Matthew,  and  also  of  the  13th  chapter  of 
Mark.  In  the  i6th  chapter  of  Matthew  He  says : 
"The  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  His 
Father  with  His  angels ;  and  then  shall  He  render 
unto  every  man  according  to  his  deeds." 

It  is  very  clear  to  me  that  the  expressions, 
"Separating  the  sheep  from  the  goats"  (Matt. 
25),  "Cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint  his  portion 
with  the  hypocrites"  (Matt.  24)  ;  "Render  unto 
every  man  according  to  his  deeds"  (Matt.  16),  and 
"Behold,  I  come  quickly ;  and  My  reward  is  with 
Me  to  render  to  each  man  according  as  his  work 
is"  (Rev.  22),  refer  to  the  same  great  and  notable 
event,  to-wit:  His  second  coming;  the  day  of 
judgment ;  and  the  end  of  the  world. 

If  Jesus  predicted  two  great  events,  widely  sep- 
arated by  time,  the  first  one — the  fall  of  Jerusa-- 
lem — is  certainly  the  greater,  for  in  Matt.  24 :20, 
21  He  says :  "Pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the 
winter,  neither  on  a  Sabbath :  for  then  shall  be 
great  tribulation,  such  as  hath  not  been  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  until  now,  no,  nor  ever 
50 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

shall  be."  In  the  34th  verse  of  the  same  chapter, 
He  says :  ''Verily  I  say  unto  you,  this  generation 
shall  not  pass  away,  till  all  these  things  be  accom- 
plished." 

Because  it  seemed  incredible  for  the  predictions 
which  Jesus  made  to  have  had  a  fulfillment  at  the 
fall  of  Jerusalem,  men  have  for  generations 
thought  that  Jesus  predicted  two  great  events. 

We  cannot  but  believe  that  if  Jesus  had  pre- 
dicted two  great  events  to  His  disciples  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  He  would  have  at  least  spoken 
one  word  whereby  we  might  know  that  He  had 
reference  to  two  events. 

If,  in  foretelling  two  great  events  like  the  first 
and  second  advent  of  Christ.  Moses  and  the 
prophets  kept  them  distinctly  separate,  have  we 
not  good  reason  for  believing  that  if  Jesus  and 
His  disciples  had  in  mind  two  great  events,  they 
also  would  have  made  a  distinction. 

But  as  it  is,  if  there  be  two,  they  are  spoken  of 
together,  and  so  entangled  that  it  is  impossible 
to  separate  them. 

Nearly  nineteen  centuries  have  fled  since  Jesus 
and  His  disciples  sat  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  and 
He  described  to  them  the  wonderful  things  that 
have  been  the  burden  of  sermon  and  song  for 
many  generations. 

51 


Christ's  second  coming  fulfilled 

During  all  this  time,  so  far  as  our  knowledge 
goes,  there  has  been  no  evidence  which  proves 
that  Jesus  described  two  great  events,  one  of 
which  was  to  take  place  in  the  time  of  the  genera- 
tion then  living,  the  other  at  some  far  distant  date 
known  only  to  the  Father.    Still 

"The  weary  centuries  watch  in  vain 
The  clouds  of  heaven  for  Him !" 

The  Confusion  of  Other  Beliefs, 

Nevertheless,  there  are  many  in  every  genera- 
tion who  look  to  the  future  for  the  coming  of 
Christ  when,  as  they  believe,  all  terrestrial  and 
heavenly  things  (excepting  the  saints)  will  be 
consumed  by  elemental  fire  and  God  will  replace 
them  with  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness.  This  is,  perhaps,  the 
prevailing  belief. 

Others  believe  the  time  is  almost  ripe  for  His 
coming  when  all  the  billions  of  the  dead  will  come 
forth  from  the  "one  mighty  sepulchre"  and  live 
again  on  the  earth  under  the  reign  of  Christ 
throughout  the  millennial  age.  Then  will  come 
the  separation  of  the  sheep  from  the  goats,  pro- 
vided there  be  any  goats  after  that  long  peace- 
ful probationary  period. 
52 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Others  believe  the  promise  of  His  coming  is 
fulfilled  in  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  others 
still,  that  Jesus  made  predictions  that  have  not 
been  and  cannot  now  be  fulfilled. 

It  is,  therefore,  plainly  evident  that  many  be- 
lievers in  Christ  are  yet  in  a  maze  concerning 
His  second  coming.  They  do  not  consider  the 
fact  that  Jesus  and  His  disciples  might  have  had 
reference  to  a  moral  transformation  such  as  is  cer- 
tainly meant  in  Isaiah  65:  17,"  18;  66:22,  and 
Rev.  21. 

A  More  Hopeful  View. 

The  passing  away  of  the  existing  order  of 
things,  in  which  sin  is  predominant,  would  be  far 
more  beneficial  to  the  human  race  than  the  de- 
struction and  reconstruction  of  the  earth  which 
God  was  ages  untold  in  creating  and  forming  to 
be  inhabited  by  man.  We  are  not  capable  of  see- 
ing what  would  be  gained  either  by  burning  it 
over  or  burning  it  up.  The  Bible  does  not  treat 
so  much  of  the  heavens  and  earth  as  it  does  of 
covenants  and  of  men.  We  are  assured  that  the 
earth  on  which  we  live  is  as  well  adapted  to  the 
natural  man  and  the  propagation  of  the  human 
race  as  infinite  wisdom  can  make  it. 

"He  hath  established  it,  He  created  it  not  in 
53 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

vain,    He    formed    to    be    inhabited/'     (Isaiah 

45:18.) 

As  the  natural  must  precede  the  spiritual  man, 
the  earth  will  doubtless  remain  as  long  as  it 
enhances  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men. 

It  is  true  that  Jesus  said :  "Heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  away,"  but  reason  as  well  as  the  Bible, 
compels  us  to  believe  that  He  did  not  have  refer- 
ence to  the  heaven  wherein  is  established  the 
throne  of  God  and  our  Father's  house  of  many 
mansions.  "The  eternal  tabernacles,"  "the  third 
heaven,"  "the  paradise  of  God"  (wherein  Paul 
was  caught  up  and  heard  unspeakable  words), 
"the  city  which  hath  the  foundations  whose  build- 
er and  maker  is  God,"  is  as  eternal  and  imperish- 
able as  is  God  Himself.  If  Jesus  did  not  have 
reference  to  the  "third  heaven — the  heaven  of 
heavens,"  it  is  also  possible  that  He  did  not  have 
reference  to  the  earth  on  which  tower  the  "ever- 
lasting hills." 

David,  in  speaking  of  the  greatness  of  Jehovah, 
says:  "Who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth 
that  it  should  not  be  moved  forever,"  and  Solo- 
mon says :  "One  generation  goeth,  and  another 
generation  cometh ;  but  the  earth  abideth  for- 
ever." 

These  Scriptures  at  least  teach  that  the  earth 

54 

4 


CHRIST^S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

will  long  remain ;  and  considering  the  long  dura- 
tion of  the  earth,  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars, 
the  most  reasonable  interpretation  of  the  words 
"heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away"  is  that  He 
spake  these  words  for  the  express  purpose  of  im- 
pressing upon  the  minds  of  His  disciples  and  on 
all  after  generations  the  durability  of  His  words, 
and  that  they  were  even  more  stable  than  the 
earth,  the  sun,  and  the  moon  and  stars. 

In  the  first  chapter  of  Hebrews,  Paul  quotes 
from  the  102nd  Psalm,  saying :  "Thou,  Lord,  in 
the  beginning,  didst  lay  the  foundation  of  the 
earth,  and  the  heavens  are  the  works  of  Thy 
hands:  They  shall  perish;  but  Thou  continuest ; 
And  they  all  shall  wax  old  as  doth  a  garment ;  and 
as  a  mantle  shaft  Thou  roll  them  up,  and  they  shall 
be  changed:  But  Thou  art  the  same,  and  Thy 
}^ears  shall  not  fail/' 

There  is  no  fire  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  passing  away  of  these  things.  Even  as 
an  old  worn-out  garment  that  has  served  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  was  made,  passes  away,  so  with 
the  earth  and  the  heavens.  As  we  understand  it, 
neither  David  nor  Paul,  nor  Jesus,  gave  us  any 
ground  for  believing  that  they  will  ever  be  re- 
placed with  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 

If  it  could  only  be  understood  that  the  heaven 
55 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

and  earth  that  were  destined  to  pass  away  and  be 
superseded  by  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness,  was  the  old  im- 
perfect and  temporary  covenant,  with  its  sacri- 
fices that  could  not  take  away  sins,  and  the  unbe- 
lievers of  a  crooked  and  perverse  nation  who  not 
only  rejected  the  words  of  Jesus  and  His  apostles, 
but  persecuted  those  who  believed  on  Him ;  and 
that  these  were  destined  to  give  place  to  the  new, 
perfect  and  eternal  covenant  with  a  sacrifice  that 
puts  away  sin,  and  a  personal  and  witnessing 
spirit;  and  that  there  would  be  "an  elect  race,  a 
royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  people  for  God's 
own  possession,"  then  the  harmony  and  beauty  of 
the  Scriptures  concerning  these  things  will  begin 
to  appear,  and  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness,  will  not  seem  so 
vague  and  far  away. 

The  New  Covenant  Maketh  a  New  Heaven  and  a 
New  Earth. 

Paul  said:  ''If  there  had  been  a  law  given 
which  could  make  alive,  verily  righteousness 
would  have  been  of  the  law."  (Gal.  3  :3i.)  Again 
he  says,  "If  that  first  covenant  had  been  faultless, 
then  would  no  place  have  been  sought  for  a  sec- 
ond." (Heb.  8:7.)  "In  those  sacrifices  there  is 
56 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

a  remembrance  made  of  sins  year  by  year.  For 
it  is  impossible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats 
should  take  away  sins."  (Heb.  10:3,  4-)  "For 
I  know  my  transgressions/'  said  David,  "and  my 
sin  is  ever  before  me."     (Psalms  51 :3.) 

But  of  the  new  covenant  it  is  said: 
^'Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I 
will  make  a  new  covenant  ...  I  will  put  My 
laws  into  their  mind,  and  on  their  heart  also  will 
I  write  them ;  and  I  will  be  to  them  a  God,  and 
they  shall  be  to  me  a  people  .  .  .  for  I  will  be 
merciful  to  their  iniquities,  and  their  sins  will  I 
remember  no  more."     (Heb.  8:8;  10:12.) 

This  is  certainly  heaven  for  the  sin-sick,  re- 
pentant, disburdened,  and  spirit-filled  soul,  and  is 
the  second  heaven  for  the  Jew  who  turned  from 
the  old  to  the  new  covenant.  "For  if  that  which 
passeth  away  was  with  glory,  much  more  that 
which  remaineth  is  in  glory."    II  Cor.  3  :  11.) 

Four  thousand  years  of  the  world's  age  passed 
into  history  before  the  new  and  living  way  was 
dedicated  for  man's  redemption,  and  that  it 
should  come  to  an  end  in  half  the  time  of  prepa- 
ration is  opposed  both  to  reason  and  revelation. 
This  new  and  living  way  was  not  dedicated  for 
a  few  score  generations  only.  Paul  could  see  no 
57 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

end  to  the  procession  of  succeeding  generations 
as  he  looked  down  the  vista  of  coming  ages. 

For  he  says :  "Unto  Him  be  the  glory  in  the 
church  and  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  all  generations 
forever  and  ever."     (Eph.  3:21.) 

And  Isaiah  says :  "Of  the  increase  of  his  gov- 
ernment and  of  peace  there  shall  be  no  end." 
(Isa.  9:7.)  ''He  shall  see  the  travail  of  his  soul 
and  shall  be  satisfied." 

Although  Sin  May  Increase  for  a  Time, 
God's  Word  Shall  Triumph. 

The  Scriptures  evidently  teach  that  the  world 
would  grow  more  and  more  sinful ;  that  it  would 
grow  more  and  more  indifferent  to  the  gospel; 
that  nation  would  rise  against  nation  and  king- 
dom against  kingdom  and  false  Christs  and 
prophets  would  arise.  "In  the  last  days,"  said 
Paul,  "grievious  times  shall  come.  For  men  shall 
be  lovers  of  self,  lovers  of  money,  boastful, 
haughty,  railers,  disobedient  to  parents,  unthank- 
ful, unholy,  without  natural  affection,  implaca- 
ble." (II  Tim.  3.)  "In  the  last  days,"  said  Peter, 
"mockers  shall  come  with  mockery,  walking  after 
their  own  lusts."  (II  Peter  3  13. )  Christ  said :  "Be- 
cause iniquity  shall  be  multiplied,  the  love  of  many 
58 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

shall  wax  cold."  That  day  shall  not  come,  except 
there  come  a  falling  away  first.     (II  Thes.  2:3.) 

Shall  we  look  to  the  future  or  the  past  for  the 
fulfillment  of  these  things  ?  If  we  look  to  the  fu- 
ture, it  makes  a  gloomy  prospect  for  the  triumph 
of  the  gospel. 

Many  centuries  ago,  God  said  of  his  word :  "It 
shall  not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accom- 
plish that  which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in 
the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it.''     (Isa.  55.) 

But  with  the  increasing  wickedness  of  the 
world,  there  would  be  the  triumph  of  evil  instead 
of  the  triumph  of  the  gospel  and  the  latter  portion 
of  earth's  history  an  apostacy. 

But  if  we  look  back  through  the  centuries  of 
the  Christian  era  to  the  generation  in  which  Jesus 
lived,  died,  rose  from  the  dead  and  ascended  from 
the  brow  of  Olivet  to  the  right  hand  of  God, 
and  in  that  generation  see  his  return  and  the  con- 
summation of  all  that  he  predicted,  and  that  the 
first  things  are  passed  away  and  all  things  made 
new,  then  the  outlook  changes  from  gloom  to 
gladness,  from  defeat  to  victory,  and  instead  of 
the  multiplying  of  iniquity,  there  would  be  the 
multiplying  of  righteousness ;  and  instead  of  wars 
and  strife  between  nations,  we  would  see  Micah's 
59 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

picture  of  Universal  Peace,  and  hear  that  angelic 
anthem  that  rolled  among  the  clouds  and  resound- 
ed over  that  manger  cradle  and  over  those  Judean 
hillsides  fifty-eight  generations  ago,  saying: 

''Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men 
In  whom  he  is  well  pleased." 

Christianity  is  in  the  world  for  conquest;  it 
thrills  with  that  hope,  for  its  captain  is  a  con- 
quering Christ  and  under  its  benign  and  peace- 
ful influence,  "the  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb, 
and  the  leapord  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid ;  and 
the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  to- 
gether; and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them  .  .  . 
They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy 
mountain ;  for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  Jehovah  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 
(Isa.  II  :6,  9.) 

The  Children  of  God  To  Become  a  World  Power. 

Under  the  la^t  Adam,  the  spiritual  head  and 
founder  of  a  new  race  of  ''children  of  God,"  the 
world  is  not  only  preserved  and  kept  from  degen- 
erating, but  is  being  gradually  filled  with  the 
knowledge  of  Jehovah.  And  slowly,  slowly,  yet 
60 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

surely,  it  grows  better  and  "grace"  abounds  more 
and  more,  and  "sin"  less  and  less.  All  things  are 
converging  toward  the  triumphal  hour  when 
Christ's  influence  shall  be  universal  and  all  na- 
tions shall  walk  in  the  light  of  the  Lord.  "Then 
the  wilderness  and  the  dry  land  shall  be  glad ;  and 
the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 
(Isa.  35:1.) 

Victor  Hugo  gives  utterance  to  the  triumph  of 
the  Christian  hope  in  these  beautiful  lines : 

"Be  like  the  bird,  that  on  a  bough  too  frail 
To  bear  him,  gaily  sings : — 
He  carols,  though  the  slender  branches  fail ; 
He  knows  that  he  has  wings." 

"It  is  by  the  influence  of  Christianity,"  said 
Benjamin  Harrison,  "that  we  shall  approach  uni- 
versal peace  and  adopt  arbitration  methods  of  set- 
tling disputes." 

"When  I  look  down,"  said  Mr.  Beecher,  "into 
the  future,  my  hope  and  my  confidence  is  that  re- 
ligion is  leading  men  on.  My  trust  and  my  un- 
shaken hope  for  the  future  is  that  God  reigns  and 
the  whole  earth  shall  see  His  salvation." 

"Each  generation,"  said  Mr*  Bascom,  "leaves 
a  better  world  than  that  into  which  it  was  born." 
61 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Not  a  New  Gospel  nor  a  New  Faith,  hut  a 
Clearer  Vision, 

Professor  Sweet  in  Modern  Sermons  by  World 
Scholars'^  says : 

"The  Spirit  of  Christ  will  never  proclaim  any 
other  gospel  than  that  which  Christ  proclaimed 
on  the  first  day  of  His  preaching  in  Galilee ;  will 
never  teach  any  other  faith  than  that  which  was 
once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints. 

"But  as  the  world  grows  older  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  may  be  expected  to  tell  men  more  and 
more  plainly  of  the  Father.  There  has  been  and 
there  will  be  fresh  interpretations  of  the  original 
message,  new  lights  thrown  on  the  teaching  of 
Scripture  and  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Church. 

"The  Light  of  the  world  is  ever  bringing  on 
the  dawn  of  the  perfect  day;  the  unchangeable 
truth  grows  clearer  in  the  growing  light  of  knowl- 
edge and  experience.  There  has  been  in  the  best 
theological  teaching  of  the  last  fifty  years,  within 
our  memory,  a  marvelous  extension  of  Christian 
thought,  an  opening  up  of  new  or  forgotten  ave- 
nues of  truth,  a  lifting  of  clouds  which  had  long 
obscured  the  field  of  vision,  a  casting  away  of 

♦  Published  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Co.,  N.  Y. 

62 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

unsound  opinions,  and  mere  presumptions,  which 
marks  a  real  advance  in  spiritual  knowledge. 

"It  is  impossible  to  foresee  the  surprises  which 
even  the  near  future  may  have  in  store  for  not  a 
few  of  us.  Within  the  lifetime  of  the  younger 
men  new  lights  may  break  upon  the  Church, 
bringing  new  fulfillments  of  Christ's  words. 
Such  a  hope  may  well  inspire  life  with  a  buoyancy 
which  will  stimulate  the  next  generation  to  new 
endeavors. 

"In  view  of  the  promise  of  progressive  teaching 
which  the  Church  has  received  from  Christ, 
all  lines  of  legitimate  study  may  be 
pursued  with  confidence.  'I  will  tell  you  plainly' 
is  a  word  which  will  fulfill  itself  ever  more  and 
more  to  those  who  are  patient  workers  in  every 
part  of  the  great  field  of  knowledge." 

Rev.  Andrew  Gillies  in  the  Homiletic  Review^ 
says :  "This  is  the  greatest  of  the  Christian  cen- 
turies. It  is  the  greatest  in  man's  insight  into 
truth.  We  know  more  about  God  and  Christ  and 
sin  and  immortality,  about  ourselves  and  the  uni- 
verse, than  ever  has  been  known  before.  This 
century  is  greatest,  too,  in  the  application  of 
truth  to  the  life  of  the  race.     After  all  the  real 


*  Published  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Co., 

63 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

glory  of  our  time  is  not  that  we  are  teaching 
more  clearly  than  ever  the  Fatherhood  of  God 
and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  it  is  that  we  are  in- 
corporating them  more  fully  into  our  social  rela- 
tions. And  so  this  century  is  the  greatest  in  spir- 
itual power  and  promise.  With  all  the  faults, 
this  period  is  better  religiously  than  was  any  past 
period  with  all  its  virtues.  I  do  not  mean  that  all 
men  are  self-confessed  subjects  of  Jesus  Christ 
or  that  all  who  confess  Him  as  Master  are  all  that 
they  ought  to  be.  I  mean  that  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  has  been  interpreted  more  clearly, 
spread  more  widely,  and  embodied  more  com- 
pletely in  the  life  of  the  race  than  ever  before 
since  He  who  proclaimed  it  walked  the  ways  of 
the  earth. 

"Step  by  step  since  time  began. 
We  see  the  steady  gain  of  man." 


64 


CHAPTER  V. 

CHRIST  CAME   IN   THE  GENERATION  THEN   LIVING. 

The  Assurance  of  His  Coming  in  That 
Generation. 

If  it  be  said  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  predic- 
tions Jesus  made  to  His  disciples  on  the  Mount 
of  Olives  to  have  had  a  fulfillment  in  that  genera- 
tion because  the  Lord  Jesus  did  not  appear  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven  with  His  holy  angels,  let  the 
Son  himself  answer:  "The  Son  of  Man  shall 
come  in  the  glory  of  His  Father  with  His  angels ; 
and  then  shall  He  render  unto  every  man  accord- 
ing to  His  deeds."  Then  to  assure  them  that  His 
return  would  not  be  long  delayed,  He  said :  "Ver- 
ily I  say  unto  you,  there  are  some  of  them  that 
stand  here,  who  shall  in  no  wise  taste  of  death, 
till  they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  His  king- 
dom."    (Matt.  16:27,  28.) 

These  words  are  in  perfect  harmony  with  those 
memorable  words  in  the  24th  chapter  of  Mat- 
thew: "Verily  I  say  unto, you.  This  generation 
shall  not  pass  away,  till  all  these  things  be  accom- 
plished." 

65 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

They  are  also  in  perfect  harmony  with  His 
words  to  the  high  priest  in  the  26th  chapter  of 
Matthew :  "Henceforth,  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of 
Man  ....   coming  on  the  clouds  of  heaven.'' 

With  these  words,  and  many  others  of  like  im- 
port, His  disciples  had  good  grounds  for  believ- 
ing that  the  generation  then  living  would  see  His 
return  and  as  they  saw  "the  day  drawing  nigh," 
they  were  enabled  to  comfort  one  another  in  the 
fiery  trials  which  came  upon  them  and  to  exhort 
one  another  to  be  patient,  saying:  "Be  patient, 
therefore,  brethren,  until  the  coming  of  the  Lord." 
(James  5:7.)  "Be  ye  also  patient,  establish  your 
hearts,  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand." 
(James  5:8.)  "For  ye  have  need  of  patience, 
that  having  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  may  receive 
the  promise.  For  yet  a  very  little  while  He  that 
Cometh  shall  come  and  shall  not  tarry."  (Heb. 
10:36,  37.) 

The  Need  of  His  Coming  at  That  Time. 

There  was  urgent  need  of  the  return  of  the 
Lord  in  the  generation  then  living,  for  the  cry  of 
the  infant  church  went  up  night  and  day  for  the 
deliverance  from  their  cruel  persecutors.  The 
good  shepherd  knew  the  "little  flock"  would  be 
as  "lambs  among  wolves,"  for  He  said,  "the  hour 
66 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Cometh,  that  whosoever  killeth  you  shall  think 
that  he  offereth  service  unto  God.  And  these 
things  will  they  do,  because  they  have  not  known 
the  Father,  nor  me."  (John  16:2-3.)  "Then 
shall  they  deliver  you  up  unto  tribulation,  and 
shall  kill  you ;  and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  nations 
for  my  name's  sake.  And  then  shall  many  stumble, 
and  shall  deliver  up  one  another,  and  shall  hate 
one  another.  And  many  false  prophets  shall 
arise,  and  shall  lead  many  astray.  And  because 
iniquity  shall  be  multiplied,  the  love  of  the  many 
shall  wax  cold."     (Matt.  24:9,  10,  11,  12.) 

As  the  last  state  of  the  man  with  a  swept  and 
garnished  house  became  worse  than  the  first, 
''even  so  with  that  wicked  generation."  (Matt. 
12-45.)  Hence  the  sad  question,  "When  the  Son 
of  Man  cometh,  shall  He  firid  the  faith  on  the 
earth?"     (Luke  18:8.) 

Assurance  that  the  Time  Was  at  Hand, 

The  apostles  assure  us  that  at  the  time  of  writ- 
ing the  epistles  and  the  book  of  Revelation  the 
things  which  should  precede  His  coming  were 
largely  fulfilled,  for  John  says  :  "Even  now  there 
have  arisen  many  antichrists ;  whereby  we  know 
that  it  is  the  last  hour,"  and  Paul,  in  his  letter  to 
the  Collossians,  declared  that  the  Gospel  had  been 
67 


CHRISTS    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

preached  "in  all  creation  under  heaven/'  The  low 
state  of  most  of  the  congregations  in  western 
Asia  Minor — the  seven  churches,  which  perhaps 
represented  the  whole  of  Christendom — indicate 
that  "the  falling  away"  had  already  come  to  pass. 

Seeing  the  fulfillment  of  these  things,  with  in- 
iquity and  persecution  increasing,  they  could  con- 
fidently say,  "We  know  that  it  is  the  last  hour," 
"the  Lord  is  at  hand,"  "the  time  is  at  hand,"  etc., 
etc. 

Then  if,  as  we  understand  it,  there  is  but  one 
coming  with  His  angels  predicted,  have  we  not, 
with  such  an  overwhelming  mass  of  evidence 
from  the  highest  authority  and  from  the  purest 
source,  strong  grounds  for  believing  that  not  only 
His  second  coming,  but  also  that  all  which  He 
predicted  concerning  this  great  event  were  ful- 
filled in  the  generation  then  living? 

How  these  things  were  fulfilled  or  accom- 
plished, we  leave  to  Him  who  numbered  the 
stars. 

Nevertheless,  not  only  the  preponderance  of 
evidence,  but  all  the  Scriptural  evidence,  is  on  the 
side  of  their  fulfillment  in  the  generation  then 
living.  It  is  all  or  none,  for  Jesus  said :  "Every 
kingdom  divided  against  itself  is  brought  to  des- 
68 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

olation;  and  every  city  or  house  divided  against 
itself  shall  not  stand."     (Matt.  12 :  25.) 

After  Jesus  had  told  His  disciples  of  the  things 
which  must  precede  His  coming,  and  of  His  com- 
ing on  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
glory,  and  sending  forth  His  angels  with  a  great 
sound  of  a  trumpet,  He  then  tells  them  how  they 
may  be  as  sure  of  His  return  as  of  the  return  of 
summer,  saying :  ''When  the  branches  of  the  fig 
tree  become  tender  and  putteth  forth  its  leaves, 
ye  know  that  the  summer  is  nigh;  even  so  ye 
also,  when  ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know  ye 
that  He  is  nigh,  even  at  the  doors."  (Matt.  24.) 
Then  the  great  Teacher  and  Prophet  spake  those 
profound  and  incontrovertible  words,  and  we  be- 
lieve them  to  be  the  one  path  out  of  the  maze — 
"Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  This  generation  shall  not 
pass  away  till  all  these  things  be  accomplished." 
(Matt.  24:34.) 

These  words  He  then  fortified  with  others  al- 
most if  not  equally  pregnant,  "If  I  will,"  said 
Jesus,  "that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to 
thee?"     (John  21 :  22.) 

"Verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  shall  not  have  gone 
through  the  cities  of  Israel,  till  the  Son  of  Man 
be  come,"     (Matt.  10:23.) 
69 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  are  some  of  them 
that  stand  here,  who  shall  in  no  wise  taste  of 
death,  till  they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his 
kingdom."  (Matt.  16:28.)  Surely  these  words 
of  the  Great  Teacher  and  Prophet  are  worthy  of 
all  acceptation. 

In  his  book  "On  Prophecy"  Fairbairn  says  of 
these  words  in  our  Lord's  discourses,  taking  Matt. 
16:28  for  example.  "Which  by  no  fair  and  nat- 
ural exposition  can  be  referred  primarily  to  events 
and  times  altogether  subsequent  to  the  Apostolic 
Age;  it  must  indicate  what  some  of  those  then 
present  lived  to  witness." 

Professor  Weiss  in  his  book.  The  Religion  of 
the  New  Testament,"^  says : 

"It  is  perfectly  useless  by  exegetical  and  crit- 
ical means  to  get  rid  of  the  fact  that  Jesus  had 
promised  His  return  to  the  generation  of  His  day 
(Mark  9:1;  14:62;  Matt.  24:  34).  All  His  dis- 
courses with  references  to  His  return  proceed 
from  the  standpoint  that  His  hearers  as  a  class 
would  yet  live  to  see  His  return  (John  14 :  3  ;  21 : 
22).  .  .  All  apostolic  preaching  expected  it 
in  the  near  future  (James  5:8,  9;  I  Peter  4:5; 
Heb.  10:25,  37;  Rev.  1:3;  3:11;  22:10,  20). 

•  Published  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Co.,  N.   T. 
70 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Paul  hopes  with  the  majority  of  the  beHevers  to 
see  the  return  (I  Thess.  4:  15,  i6;  I  Cor.  15:  52). 
And  he  adheres  to  the  near  approach  of  this  re- 
turn even  when  thought  of  His  martyrdom  came 
nearer  and  stronger  (Phil.  2:  16,  17;  4:  5).  John 
knows  that  the  last  hour  is  already  at  hand  and 
expects  with  his  readers  to  live  to  see  the  return 
(I  John  2:18,  28). 

"As  certain  as  it  accordingly  is  that  the  Divine 
Providence,  according  to  which  Jesus  was  com- 
pelled to  expect  His  speedy  return,  had  its  spe- 
cial redemptive  purposes,  so  certainly,  too,  is  it 
wrong  to  speak  of  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  Jesus 
or  even  of  a  self-deception  in  reference  to  the 
success  of  His  work." 

Should  it  be  proved  that.  Christ  was  mistaken 
even  in  one  thing,  then  the  whole  plan  of  redemp- 
tion would  be  shaken  and  there  would  be  nothing 
secure  on  which  to  build  our  faith  and  hope,  and 
furthermore  the  old  "ship  of  Zion"  would  be  left 
upon  a  wide  tempestuous  sea  without  anchor, 
chart  or  compass.  But,  thank  God,  it  can  never 
be  proved  that  He  spake  even  one  word  amiss. 
He  says  of  His  words:  "I  spake  not  from  my- 
self ;  but  the  Father  that  sent  me  He  hath  given 
me  a  commandment,  what  I  should  say,  and  what 
I  should  speak."  (John  12 :  49.) 
71 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Apart  from  the  day  and  hour,  which  he  said 
he  did  not  know,  Christ  has  in  this  declaration 
in  Matt.  16:28  and  in  others  of  similar  kind  made 
the  time  of  his  return  as  plain  as  it  was  possible 
for  words  to  make  it.  They  should  be  sufficient 
evidence.  They  were  sufficient  for  the  apostles 
who  heard  him  speak  them,  for,  when  they  saw 
the  things  coming  to  pass,  which  he  had  told  them 
would  precede  his  return,  they  sent  letters  to 
those  who  were  scattered  abroad  because  of  per- 
secutions, saying:  "Establish  your  hearts  for 
the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand."    (James  5  :8.) 

"Behold  the  judge  standeth  before  the  doors." 
(James  5:9.) 

"Who  shall  give  account  to  him  that  is  ready 
to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead."    (I  Peter  4:5.) 

"The  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand."     (I  Peter 

4  7-) 

"Even  now  there  have  arisen  many  Antichrists 
whereby  we  know  that  it  is  the  last  hour."  (I 
John  2:18.) 

And  Paul,  whose  gospel  came  to  him  "through 
the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,"  sent  letters  to  the 
Corinthians,  Philippians  and  Thessalonians  say- 
ing :  "The  time  is  shortened."  "The  Lord  is  at 
hand."  "I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit  and  soul 
and  body  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming 
72 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ/'  "Faithful  is  he  that 
calleth  you  who  also  will  do  it."  (I.  Thess.  5  123, 
24,  A.  V.) 

I  confidently  believe  that  which  Paul  prayed 
for  came  to  pass,  for  it  is  in  perfect  harmony  with 
these  words  of  Jesus:  "Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
there  are  some  of  them  that  stand  here  who  shall 
in  no  wise  taste  of  death  till  they  see  the  Son  of 
Man  coming  in  his  kingdom.     (Matt.  16:28.) 

It  is  plainly  evident  that  Paul  entertained  no 
doubt  concerning  the  fulfillment  of  that  for  which 
he  prayed,  for  he  adds,  "Faithful  is  he  that  calleth 
you  who  will  also  do  it." 

With  Jesus,  Paul,  Peter,  James  and  John  all 
proclaiming  in  effect  a  return  so  near  at  hand 
that  some  who  were  then  living  would  be  living 
when  their  Lord  returned,  how  can  we  refuse  to 
believe  it?  Surely  nothing  is  more  plainly  stated  in 
the  scriptures,  and  the  evidence  is  certainly  over- 
whelming, for  there  is  not  one  dissenting  voice. 
Therefore  we  should  not  underestimate  it,  nor 
should  we,  like  Nicodemus,  ask,  "How  can  these 
things  be,"  but  rather  what  has  Jesus  and  his 
holy  Apostles  said,  for  the  decision  of  this  su- 
preme court  is  final. 

73 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

The  Blood  of  the  Righteous  as  Additional    > 
Evidence. 

After  Christ  had  strongly  denounced  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  he  said,  "Behold  I  send 
unto  you  prophets  and  wise  men  and  scribes ;  and 
some  of  them  shall  ye  kill  and  crucify ;  and  some 
of  them  shall  ye  scourge  in  your  synagogues,  and 
persecute  them  from  city  to  city ;  That  upon  you 
may  come  all  the  righteous  blood  shed  upon  the 
earth,  from  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel  unto  the 
blood  of  Zacharias  Son  of  Barachias,  whom  ye 
slew  between  the  temple  and  the  altar.  Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  All  these  things  shall  come  upon 
this  generation."     (Matt.  23:34,  35,  36.) 

Pilate  said:  "I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of 
this  righteous  man,  see  ye  to  it."  And  all  the 
people  answered  and  said :  "His  blood  be  on  us 
and  on  our  children."     (Matt.  27:24,  25.) 

Dreadful,  dreadful  imprecation!  It  certainly 
came,  for  in  less  than  two  score  of  years,  there 
came  upon  that  generation  not  only  the  blood  of 
Jesus,  but  all  the  righteous  blood  from  Abel  to 
Zachariah. 

"For  these,"  said  Jesus,  "are  days  of  vengeance, 
that  all  things  which  are  written  may  be  ful- 
filled."   (Luke  21:22.) 

74 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

So  terrible  was  this  vengeance  that  he  declared 
that  "except  those  days  had  been  shortened,  no 
flesh  would  have  been  saved."     (Matt.  24:22.) 

Little  wonder  then  that,  with  all  the  righteous 
blood  and  with  all  that  was  written  against  them 
coming  upon  them,  they  said  to  the  mountains 
and  the  rocks,  "Fall  on  us  and  hide  us  from  the 
face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from 
the  wrath  of  the  lamb,"  etc.     (Rev.  6:16.) 

"Then,"  said  Jesus,  "shall  be  great  tribulation, 
such  as  hath  not  been  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  until  now,  no  nor  ever  shall  be"  (Matt. 
24:21.) 

The  Certainty  of  His  Coming  and  the  Ful- 
fillment of  the  Predictions. 

It  seems  to  me  that,  with  such  impressive  words 
from  the  lips  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  with  his 
spirit-filled  apostles  in  persecutions,  and  in 
prisons,  declaring  the  same  great  truth,  there 
should  be  no  question  concerning  the  time  of  his 
coming,  nor  of  the  accomplishment  of  all  that  he 
had  predicted.  Cetainly  the  apostles  had  every 
reason  to  believe  that  "the  day  of  the  Lord"  was 
drawing  nigh,  for  Jesus  had  said  to  them :  "When 
ye  see  all  these  things,  know  ye  that  he  is  nigh, 
75 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

even  at  the  doors."  Moreover,  had  He  not  as- 
sured them  again  and  again  that  the  generation 
then  living  wiould  see  his  return  ?  We  confident- 
ly believe  they  looked  not  in  vain,  for  prophecies 
and  promises  awaited  fulfillment,  which  made  his 
return  in  the  existing  generation  imperative.  His 
promise  is  proof,  and  it  is  comforting  to  be  as- 
sured by  Him  who  "created  the  heavens  and 
stretched  them  forth  ;  that  spread  abroad  the  earth 
and  that  which  cometh  out  of  it"  that  they  have 
passed  out  of  their  flood  and  fire ;  of  which  we 
are  assured  by  the  bow  in  the  cloud  and  by  the 
more  precious  bow  of  promises  in  His  word,  for 
"there  shall  be  no  curse  any  more"  and  "as  the 
new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  which  I  will  make, 
shall  remain  before  me,  saith  Jehovah,  so  shall 
your  seed  and  your  name  remain."  Jesus  says: 
"The  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth."  And  Isaiah, 
"Thy  people  also  shall  be  all  righteous ;  they  shall 
inherit  the  land  forever ;  the  branch  of  my  plant- 
ing, the  work  of  my  hands,  that  I  may  be  glori- 
fied. The  little  one  shall  become  a  thousand,  and 
the  small  one  a  strong  nation :  I,  Jehovah,  will 
hasten  it  in  its  time."    (Isa.  60:21,  22,) 

If  it  should  be  said  that  the  Fourth  Gospel  was 
written  after  the  Holy  City  had  been  destroyed 

76 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

(there  is,  however,  internal  evidence  of  its  hav- 
ing been  written  before  that  time)  and  should  it 
be  said  that,  if  these  prophesies  had  been  fulfilled 
in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  there  would  at 
least  have  been  some  allusion  thereto,  I  should 
say,  that  it  has  not  pleased  God  to  give  us  an 
after  revelation  of  this  great  event  further  than 
that  foretold  by  the  prophets  and  by  Jesus  him- 
self, and  that  which  he  revealed  unto  John  on 
the  Isle  of  Patmos. 

There  is,  doubtless,  much  more  revealed  in  the 
last  book  of  the  New  Testament  than  it  has  yet 
been  given  credit  for. 

When  one  comes  to  believe  that  such  words  as 
"Must  shortly  come  to  pass."  (Rev.  i  :i.)  "The 
time  is  at  hand."  (Rev.  1:3.)  "Behold  I  come 
quickly."  (Rev.  3:11.)  "Yea,  I  come  quickly." 
(Rev.  22 :20.)  Have  reference  to  the  time  of  the 
generation  then  living,  much  that  is  written  in  this 
wonderful  book  that  hitherto  was  obscure  will 
then  be  made  plain.  That  they  apply  to  the  gen- 
eration then  living  is  plainly  evident,  for  they 
are  in  perfect  accord  with  words  of  like  import 
both  in  the  Synoptic  gospels  and  in  the  Epistles. 
The  same  stream  of  water  that  runs  through  the 
sunny  fields,  runs  through  the  shadowy  forest. 

77 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Even  so  this  stream  of  truth,  which  runs  through 
the  sunny  synoptics  and  epistles,  also  runs  through 
this  shadowy  book. 

The  Meaning  of  the  Symbol. 

It  seems  to  symbolize  the  closing  scenes  of  a 
world  that  had  had  its  morning,  noon  and  evening. 
It  not  only  symbolizes  the  closing  scenes  of  the 
old,  but  it  also  represents  the  glorious  presence  of 
the  new.  After  the  famine,  the  sword,  and  fire 
had  accomplished  their  work,  and  the  fire  of  His 
wrath  had  passed  away,  the  Revelator  seemed  to 
turn  with  joy  to  the  new  and  eternal  things,  when 
he  said : 

"I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth ;  for  the 
first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  are  passed  away, 
and  the  sea  is  no  more.  And  I  saw  the  Holy  City, 
New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  out  of  heaven  from 
God,  made  ready  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  hus- 
band. And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  throne 
saying.  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with 
men,  and  He  shall  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall 
be  His  peoples,  and  God  himself  shall  be  with 
them,  and  be  their  God ;  and  He  shall  wipe  away 
every  tear  from  their  eyes ;  and  death  shall  be  no 
more ;  neither  shall  there  be  mourning,  nor  cry- 
ing, nor  pain  any  more ;  the  first  things  are  passed 
78 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

away.  And  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  said, 
'Behold  I  make  all  things  new.'  And  He  saith, 
'Write:  for  these  words  are  faithful  and  true.' 
And  He  said  unto  me,  'They  are  come  to  pass'." 
By  these  last  few  words  we  see  that  the  Revela- 
tor  saw  in  his  vision  the  accomplishment  of  all 
these  things. 

The  Church  of  the  Lord  a  Living  Evidence, 

"The  church  of  the  Lord  which  He  purchased 
with  His  own  blood,"  is  a  living  evidence  of  the 
fulfillment  of  these  things,  for  instead  of  a  "falling 
away",  "the  love  of  many  waxing  cold",  "and 
knowledge  of  the  truth  waning"  is  it  not  increas- 
ing in  numbers  and  growing  in  divine  grace,  and 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  just  as  we  should 
expect  from  the  mighty  forces  that  make  for 
righteousness  which  God  hath  ordained  for  the 
accomplishment  of  His  eternal  purpose  which  He 
purposed  in  Christ  Jesus,  our  Lord?  Are  not 
the  years  and  centuries  of  Christian  history  grow- 
ing better?  Are  not  His  plans  sure  of  realiza- 
tion? Is  not  His  church,  of  which  He  declared 
the  "gates  of  Hades  shall  not  prevail  against  it" 
certain  of  victory? 

79 


Christ's  second  coming  fulfilled 

"Crowns  and  thrones  may  perish; 
Kingdoms  rise  and  wane ; 
But  the  church  of  Jesus 
Constant  will  remain!" 


bO 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WONDERFUL   CHRIST. 

The  New  Covenant  and  the  New  Life, 

God  is  with  His  people  as  He  was  not  under 
the  old  covenant.  "Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of 
glory"  was  unknown  to  the  men  of  old.  Life  and 
immortality  had  not  yet  been  brought  to  light. 
The  way  into  the  Holy  Place  had  not  yet  been 
made  manifest.  They  could  not  enter  into  the 
life  of  the  spirit,  for  the  law  could  not  make  alive, 
nor  the  offered  gifts  and  sacrifices  as  touching  the 
conscience,  make  the  worshipper  perfect. 

Although  the  old  was  only  a  shadow  of  the 
good  things  to  come,  yet  ''Moses  writeth  that  the 
man  that  doeth  the  righteousness  which  is  of  the 
law  shall  live  thereby."    (Rom.  lo :  5.) 

God  did  not  require  a  perfect  conscience  under 
an  imperfect  covenant.  Since  under  the  new  cov- 
enant there  is  much  more  given,  there  is  also 
much  more  required,  which  may  be  readily  seen 
in  the  Saviour's  sermon  on  the  Mount;  also  in 
his  words  to  Nicodemus,  and  throughout  the  New 
Testament  writings. 

81 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

Therefore,  all  who  have  complied  with  the  re- 
quirements of  the  new,  are  delivered  out  of  the 
power  of  darkness,  and  if,  to  them,  truth  is  the 
glad  sunlight  of  the  soul,  they  are  already  trans- 
lated into  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  of  His  Love. 
In  this  kingdom  there  is  no  (soul)  death,  no 
judgment,  for,  for  them,  these  things  have  passed 
away,  and  they  are  of  that  radiant  number  of 
whom  Jesus  spake  when  He  said :  "Verily,  verily 
I  say  unto  you.  He  that  heareth  My  word,  and 
believeth  Him  that  sent  Me,  hath  eternal  life,  and 
Cometh  not  into  judgment,  but  hath  passed  out  of 
death  into  life."  (John  5  :  24.)  'They  are  walk- 
ing in  that  elevation  of  character  that  is  forever 
in  the  sunshine  of  God,"  and  in  this  sacred  sun- 
shine earth's  bitter  things  grow  sweet  and  the  joy 
and  the  pain  are  made  one.  Hear  what  Christ 
himself  says:  "He  that  followeth  Me  shall  not 
walk  in  the  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of 
life."  They  are  now  spiritual  citizens  of  the  Holy 
City,  New  Jerusalem,  which  John  saw  coming 
down  out  of  heaven  from  God — the  Spiritual  City 
— the  City  of  the  Great  King. 

With  their  spiritual  vision  they  see  the  "King  in 

His  beauty,"  not  in  His  marred  form  and  visage. 

They  feel  His  power  and  preciousness.     "They 

go  from  strength  to  strength"  and  they  run  with- 

82 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

out  weariness  and  they  walk  without  fainting. 
They  are  eating  of  the  hidden  manna  and  drinking 
anew  the  fruit  of  the  vine  with  Jesus  in  His 
Father's  kingdom  (of  which  the  former  was  but 
the  emblem)  and  "the  true  vine,"  life  is  flowing 
into  their  souls ;  and  they  are  glorifying  the  Father 
in  bearing  much  fruit.  "The  everlasting  love/' 
"the  peace  that  passeth  all  understanding,"  "the 
unsearchable  riches,"  "the  unspeakable  gift,"  yea, 
"all  things  that  pertain  unto  life  and  godliness" 
are  theirs  forevermore.  They  are  not  isolated 
from  those  that  need  their  sympathy  and  service, 
and  it  may  never  be  that  way.  The  joy  of  service 
may  forever  be  a  part  of  the  Christian  heritage, 
for  as  Lowell  says:  "For  sure  in  heaven's  wide 
chambers,  there  is  room  for  love  and  pity  and  for 
helpful  deeds."  "Are  they  not  all,"  says  Paul, 
"ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  do  service  for 
the  sake  of  them  that  shall  inherit  salvation?" 
(Heb.  1 :  14.) 

May  we  not,  then,  say  with  Whittier  that  it 
is  a  great  and  precious  truth  of  the  Gospel 

"That  the  dear  Christ  dwells  not  afar. 
The  King  of  some  remoter  star. 
But  here,  amidst  the  poor  and  blind, 
The  bowed  and  suffering  of  our  kind, 
83 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

In  workvS  we  do,  in  prayers  we  pray, 
Life  of  our  life,  He  lives  today." 

Through  Christ  Man  Reaches  God. 

We  do  not  think  of  the  ^'dear  Christ"  enough 
as  man,  nor  enough  as  God.  As  man,  he  ate  and 
drank ;  as  God,  He  fed  the  multitudes.  As  man. 
He  slept  on  a  pillow  in  a  ship,  but  as  God  He 
stilled  the  wind  and  the  sea.  As  man  He  wept 
with  those  that  wept,  while  as  God  He  raised 
Lazarus  from  the  dead.  As  man  He  suffered 
and  died,  but  as  God  He  raised  Himself  from  the 
dead.  Wonderful  Christ !  His  love  is  universal ; 
His  truth  is  everlasting,  and  His  kingdom  shall 
have  no  end !  "O  Star  of  the  Morning,  our  hope 
is  in  Thee!" 

In  the  language  of  Wortman :  "How  great  the 
folly  of  those  who  seek  not  the  knowledge  of 
Him  and  of  His  ways ;  they  close  their  eyes  to  the 
grandest  visions,  their  ears  to  the  noblest  songs ; 
their  minds  to  the  highest  truths ;  their  hearts  to 
the  purest  inspirations." 

The  Work  of  Christianity, 

Finallly,  if  the  foregoing  conclusions  concern- 
ing the  second  coming  of  Christ  be  correct,  they 
84 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

in  nowise  lessen  our  responsibility  either  to  God 
or  man,  but  rather  increase  it ;  nor  because  of  the 
Gospel  having  been  preached  in  all  the  world  in 
that  generation,  is  it  a  reason  for  abating  mis- 
sionary zeal.  The  work  of  Christianity  is  to  seek 
and  save  the  lost,  and  to  make  better  men  and 
women,  by  growing  Christward  according  to  His 
own  pattern.  Nor  because  the  "day  of  the  Lord", 
that  great  ''and  notable  day''  is  more  than  eighteen 
centuries  in  the  past,  can  the  sinner  hope  to  es- 
cape punishment  from  sin,  ''for  sin  and  punish- 
ment are  by  a  great  law  of  God  bound  together," 
and  there  is  no  escape  from  the  consequences  of 
misconduct.  "For  he  that  doeth  wrong  shall  re- 
ceive for  the  wrong  that  he  hath  done  and  there  is 
no  respect  of  persons."     (Col.  3:25.) 

"To  Thee,  O'  love  Ineffable ! 
The  saving  name  is  given ; 
To  turn  aside  from  Thee  is  hell! 
To  walk  with  Thee  is  Heaven!" 

— Whit  tier. 

The  New  Heaven  and  the  New  Earth. 

The  first  and  last  apostles  shall  furnish  the  clos- 
ing of  the  first  part  of  the  book,  by  a  description 
of  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  wherein 
85 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING    FULFILLED 

dwelleth  righteousness.  "But  ye  are  come  unto 
Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  Hving  God, 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  innumerable  hosts 
of  angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of 
the  first  born  who  are  enrolled  in  heaven,  and  to 
God,  the  judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the  mediator  of  a 
new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling  that 
speaketh  better  than  that  of  Abel."  (Heb.  12.) 
"But  ye  are  an  elect  race,  a  royal  priesthood,  a 
holy  nation,  a  people  for  God's  own  possession, 
that  ye  may  show  forth  the  excellencies  of  Him 
who  called  you  out  of  the  darkness  into  His  mar- 
velous light.''  (I  Peter  2:9.)  "Ye  also,  as  living 
stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  to  be  a  holy 
priesthood  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  accepta- 
ble to  God  through  Jesus  Christ."    (I  Peter  2:5.) 


86 


PART  TWO 

DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 


PART  TWO 

DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   RESURRECTION   OF   THE   INWARD    MAN. 

Christ  the  First  to  Rise. 

Christ  w.as  the  first  to  rise.  "In  Adam  all  die." 
(I  Cor.  15:22.)  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the 
life."  (John  11:25.)  "The  invisible  things  of 
him  since  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly 
seen,  being  perceived  through  the  things  that  are 
made,  even  his  everlasting  power  and  divinity; 
that  they  may  be  without  excuse."  (Romans  i : 
20.) 

How  Christ's  second  coming  and  the  sounding 
of  the  last  trumpet  affected  those  who  lived  un- 
der the  old  and  shadowy  dispensation,  we  know 
not  further  than  declared  by  David.  (Ps.  17:15.) 
Paul  says,  "Behold  I  tell  you  a  mystery."  (I 
Cor.  15:51,  I  Thess.  4:16.)  Yet  it  is  a  mystery 
still,  for  he  has  not  made  it  clear  enough  to  be 
easily  understood.  Even  Paul  himself,  when 
87 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

"caught  Up  to  the  third  heaven,"  did  not  know 
whether  he  was  in  the  body  or  out  of  it.  (II  Cor. 
12.)  So  we  leave  the  transactions  of  that  great 
and  "notable  day"  as  wie  have  already  said,  with 
Him  who  numbered  the  stars. 

Saint  John  says,  "That  there  shall  be  delay  no 
longer ;  but  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh 
angel,  when  he  is  about  to  sound,  then  is  finished 
the  mystery  of  God,  according  to  the  good  tidings 
which  he  declared  to  His  servants,  the  prophets." 
(Rev.  io:6,  7.) 

We  know  that  the  scriptures  teach  "that  Christ 
should  suffer  and  that  He  should  be  the  first  that 
should  rise  from  the  dead"  (Acts  26:23  aC.  v.) 
"the  first  born  among  many  brethren."  (Rom. 
8 :29.)  "The  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept"  (Cor. 
IS  :2o),  "the  first  born  from  the  dead ;  that  in  all 
things  he  might  have  the  preeminence."    (Col.  i : 

18.) 

Twice  Born  and  Once  Risen  Christ. 

Christ  was  tzmce  born,  thus  leaving  an  example 
to  that  and  succeeding  generations.  He  was  born 
in  Bethlehem  of  Judea,  and  he  was  born  again  or 
born  anew  in  Joseph's  new  tomb.  Of  all  the 
twice  born  men,  He  was  the  first.  Of  all  the  risen 
dead,  that  died  to  sin.  He  was  the  first. 
88 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

The  Resurrection  of  the  "Inward  Man!' 

"God  being  rich  in  mercy,  for  the  great  love 
wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead 
through  our  trespasses,  made  us  alive  together 
with  Christ,  raised  us  up  with  Him,  and  made  us 
to  sit  with  Him  in  the  heavenly  places  in  Christ 
Jesus."  (Eph.  2:4,  5,  6.)  This  resurrection  ex- 
perienced by  Paul,  and  his  converts  at  Ephesus,  is, 
as  it  appears  to  us,  the  only  resurrection  that  fits 
in  with  the  resurrection  of  the  risen  Christ.  Jesus 
evidently  had  reference  to  this  resurrection  when 
He  said,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you ;  The  hour 
Cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear 
the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  they  that  hear 
shall  live."  (John  5:25.)  In  the  28th  and  29th 
verses  of  the  same  chapter.  He  simply  emphasized 
and  enlarged  upon  this  great  truth  of  the  Gospel, 
and  said,  "Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  hour 
Cometh,  in  which  all  that  are  in  the  tombs  shall 
hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth;  they  that 
have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life ;  and 
they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of 
judgment." 

The  Voice  of  the  Son  of  God. 

All  heard  his  voice,  for  the  Gospel  was  preached 
in  all  creation  under  heaven  in  that  generation, 
89 


^  DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

and  there  were  many  devout  men,  like  Cornelius, 
who  were  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel, 
and  when  they  heard  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God 
through  the  gospel,  gladly  obeyed  it,  and  were 
made  alive  together  with  Christ,  and  raised  up 
with  Him ;  and  they  that  rejected  and  spurned  the 
gospel,  their  enlightenment  only  brought  greater 
condemnation  and  finally  the  great  judgments  of 
God  that  came  upon  that  generation.  At  the  time 
Jesus  spake  these  words,  all,  figuratively  speak- 
ing, were  dead  and  in  their  tombs.  Paul  said: 
"If  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead.''  (II 
Cor.  5:14  a.  V.)  "All  were  shut  up  under  sin." 
(Gal.  3 :22.)  Christ  said :  "I  came  that  they  may 
have  life."  (John  10:10.)  "The  law  was  given 
through  Moses;  grace  and  truth  came  through 
Jesus  Christ."  (John  1:17.)  The  law  could  not 
make  alive.  Paul  said :  "If  there  had  been  a  law 
given  which  could  make  alive,  verily  righteous- 
ness would  have  been  of  the  law."  (Gal.  3  :2i.) 
Peter  said :  "For  unto  this  end  was  the  Gospel 
preached,  even  to  the  dead,  that  they  might  be 
judged  indeed  according  to  men  in  the  flesh ;  but 
live  according  to  God  in  the  spirit."  (Peter  4 :6.) 
This  resurrection  was  foretold  by  the  prophet 
Daniel,  when  he  said :  "Many  of  them  that  sleep 
in  the  dust  of  the  earth  shall  awake ;  some  to  ever- 
90 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

lasting  life  and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting 
contempt."  (Dan.  12:2.)  They  were  asleep  while 
living  in  the  physical  body;  for  it  is  dust  of  the 
earth.  "He  knoweth  our  frame ;  He  remembereth 
that  we  are  dust."  (Ps.  103:14.)  Isaiah  said: 
"Awake  and  sing,  ye  that  dwell  in  dust."  (Isa. 
26:19.)  Paul  uttered  the  same  truth  that  Daniel 
had  foretold  when  he  said,  "Awake  thou  that 
sleepest  and  arise  from  the  dead  and  Christ  shall 
shine  upon  thee."  (Eph.  5  :i4.)  Again  he  said: 
"It  is  time  for  you  to  awake  out  of  sleep ;  for  now 
is  salvation  nearer  to  us  than  when  we  first  be- 
lieved."   (Rom.  13:11.) 

It  had  been  ordained  that  Christ  "should  be 
the  first  that  should  rise  from  the  dead."  (Acts 
26:23  a.  V.)  The  "first  born  among  many  breth- 
ren." (Rom.  8:29.)  "The  first  born  from  the 
dead,  all  of  which  refer  to  the  same  event."  (Col. 
1 :  18.)  And  all  who  would  "follow  His  steps" 
must  "awake  out  of  sleep,"  must  "arise  from  the 
dead,"  or,  as  Chirst  himself  declared,  "Ye  must 
be  born  anew." 

The  Physical  Resurrection  the  Objective  of  the 
Spiritual. 

Unbelievers  as  well  as  believers  in  Christ,  must 
have  the  objective  evidence  of  the  resurrection, 
91 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

hence  the  risen  bodies  of  the  saints  that  appeared 
unto  many  in  the  Holy  City.     (Matt.  27:52,  53.) 

God  has  shown  the  invisible  things  through  the 
visible,  "that  they  may  be  without  excuse."  Christ 
came  to  be  the  outward  visible  manifestation  of 
the  inward  invisible  plan  of  divine  redemption  not 
simply  to  declare  it.  This  simple  resurrection,  if 
accompanied  by  self-denial  and  by  growth  in  "the 
grace  and  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Savior 
Jesus  Christ,"  will,  in  the  fullness  of  time,  raise 
us  up  "unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  full- 
ness of  Christ."  This  resurrection  satisfies  the 
longings  of  the  human  heart.  It  is  a  present 
power  in  the  believer.  It  is  the  life  of  God  in  the 
soul  of  man.  It  is  Christ  in  you,  and  Christ  in 
me,  the  hope  of  glory.  What  more  do  we  need 
for  life,  for  death  or  for  eternity  ?  It  takes  naught 
of  earth  or  sea  or  sky,  to  make  this  res- 
urrection complete,  for  "ye  are  complete  in 
Him."  (Col.  2:10  a.  v.)  It  pleased  the  Father 
that  in  Him  should  all  fullness  dwell."  (Col. 
I  :i9.) 

Risen  with  Christ  and  born  anew  are  synony- 
mous terms,  and  have  one  goal,  the  Christ  like- 
ness "If  ye  be  risen  with  Christ"  said  the  Apos- 
tle, "Seek  the  things  that  are  above.'  '  For  by  so 
doing  they  would  become  more  and  more  like  him 
92 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

who  said,  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life." 
Glorious  resurrection!  Our  "Forerunner,"  our 
"Elder  Bi;other"  had  but  one  resurrection.  What 
are  we  who  stand  on  the  fulfilled  side  of  types  and 
examples  of  opened  tombs,  and  opened  seals  and 
sounding  trumpets  that  we  should  have  more 
than  one  resurrection?  We  are  satisfied  here 
with  our  house  from  earth,  and  we  believe  that 
we  will  be  abundantly  satisfied  there  "with  our 
house  which  is  from  heaven."    (II  Cor.  5  :2  a.  v.) 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  Absolutely 
Essential. 

In  his  first  letter  to  the  Corinthians,  the  Apos- 
tle has  made  it  clear  that  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  is  absolutely  essential  to  a  continued  exist- 
ence. In  substance  he  says,  if  Christ  be  not 
risen,  no  one  has  risen.  "Your  faith  is  vain ;  Ye 
are  yet  in  your  sins.  Then  they  also  which  are 
fallen  asleep  in  Christ  have  perished."  The  resur- 
rection of  which  he  speaks  in  the  15th  chapter  of 
I  Cor.  (until  he  begins  to  tell  you  a  mystery)  is, 
as  we  believe  the  same  as  that  in  the  II  chapter 
of  Ephesians. 

This  is  the  resurrection  of  which  he  speaks: 
"Even  when  we  were  dead  through  our  tres- 
93 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

passes  made  us  alive  together  with  Christ,  raised 
us  up  with  Him  and  made  us  to  sit  with  Him  in 
the  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus."  (Eph.  2: 
5.6.) 

Paul  said  to  the  Corinthians  that  if  there  was 
no  resurrection  of  the  dead  (as  some  affirmed) 
then,  not  only  was  his  preaching  vain,  but  he  was 
a  false  witness  of  God.  Paul,  however,  knew  that 
Christ  had  risen  from  the  dead  and  that  he  was 
the  "first  born  among  many  brethren."  There- 
fore, he,  with  the  Corinthian  brethren,  had  been 
made  alive  together  with  Christ  and  were  raised 
up  with  him  to  walk  in  newness  of  life. 

"If  the  dead  are  not  raised  at  all,"  said  Paul, 
"why  are  they  baptized  for  them?"  It  is  a  bap- 
tism of  sorrow  and  suffering  for  those  who  were 
dead  in  trespass  and  in  sins,  of  which  the  Apostle 
speaks.  He  said:  "I  have  great  heaviness  and 
continual  sorrow  in  my  heart,  for  I  could  wish 
that  myself  were  accursed  from  Christ  for  my 
brethren,  my  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh." 
(Rom.  9:2,  3,  a.  V.)  Many  Christians  since 
Paul's  day  have  also  been  baptized  or  burdened 
for  the  dead. 
The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  Most  Beautiful. 

When  divested  of  literalism,  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead  is  most  beautiful,  even  more  beautiful 
94 


DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

than  the  lilly  of  the  valley  or  the  rose  of  Sharon, 
for  in  the  fulness  of  time  the  resurrected  one  is 
transformed  into  the  likeness  of  the  "King  in  his 
beauty,"  "transformed  into  the  same  image  from 
glory  to  glory." 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  is  Restful. 

It  lays  no  heavy  burden  on  our  faith  and  love. 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Dead  a  Perennial  Feast 
and  Fountain. 

"For  the  Lamb  v^hich  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto 
living  fountains  of  water."     (Rev.  7:17,  a.  v.) 


95 


CHAPTER  11. 

NO  RESURRECTION   FOR  THE  OUTWARD  MAN. 

''The  Things  Which  Are  Seen  Are  Temporal!' 

As  to  the  resurrection  of  the  outward  man  or 
physical  body,  had  it  been  appointed  that  it  should 
rise  from  the  tomb,  Christ  and  not  Lazarus  would 
have  been  the  first  to  come  forth,  for  it  is  de- 
clared "that  He  should  be  the  first  that  should 
rise  from  the  dead/'  (Acts  26:23,  a.  v.)  "The 
first  born  from  the  dead  that  in  all  things  He 
might  have  the  preeminence."     (Col.  i  :i8.) 

Advocating  a  future  physical  resurrection  Mr. 
Perowine  says:  "We  presume  to  put  no  limits 
upon  the  almighty  power  of  God.  We  do  not 
doubt  that  amid  all  the  ceaseless  infinite  fluctua- 
tions of  the  material  particles,  His  eye  could  trace 
each  grain  of  dust,  and  His  hand  collect  it,  and 
bring  it  back  to  reconstitute  the  body.  But  we 
contend  that  any  such  process  is  as  unnecessary 
as  it  is  improbable.  We  maintain  that  the  same 
body  which  has  been  laid  in  the  grave  may  be 
raised  at  the  last  day ;  though  not  one  single  ma- 
terial particle  which  went  to  constitute  the  one 
body,  shall  be  found  in  the  other." 
96 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

As  we  understand  Paurs  teaching  the  outward 
man  or  physical  body  is  only  a  temporary  house 
or  tent  for  the  inward  man  to  dwell  in  for  a  little 
while,  for  he  says :  'The  things  which  are  seen 
are  temporal."  (Cor.  4:18,  a.  v.)  And  again 
"Though  our  outward  man  perish,  yet  the  inward 
man  is  renewed  day  by  day."  (II  Cor.  4  :i6,  a.  v.) 
And  yet  again,  "For  we  know  that  if  our  earthly 
house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have 
a  building  of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal  in  the  heavens."    (II  Cor.  5  :i,  a.  v.) 

It  is  true  according  to  the  authorized  version 
that  Paul  said,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  "shall 
change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned 
like  unto  His  glorious  body."     (Phil.  3  :2i,  a.  v.) 

In  the  Scriptures  just  quoted,  Paul  has  certain- 
ly made  it  clear  that  the  outward  man  is  of  only 
temporary  duration  for  he  says,  "The  things 
which  are  seen  are  temporal"  and  speaks  of  the 
outward  man  as  being  dissolved  and  of  its  perish- 
ing. In  the  dust  of  the  earth  there  is  no  vileness. 
It  cannot  be  properly  said  that  a  thing  is  vile 
that  is  devoid  of  reason  and  of  the  power  of 
choice.  "No  man,"  said  Paul,  "ever  yet  hated 
his  own  flesh;  but  nourisheth  and  cherisheth  it, 
even  as  the  Lord  the  church."  (Eph.  5  129,  a.  v.) 
A  devoted  Christian  will  not  cherish  a  vile  thing. 
97 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

So  I  think  we  will  have  to  delve  a  little  deeper 
than  the  physical  body  in  order  to  find  the  mean- 
ing of  Paul's  words. 

Christ  is  the  Way  and  the  Plan  of  Redemption  is 
Found  in  Him. 

This  inward  transformation  was  exemplified  in 
the  transformation  of  the  body  of  Christ.  His 
was  a  body  of  "no  beauty"  transformed  into  one 
of  beauty,  a  "glorious  body.''  Long,  long  ago  the 
prophet  Isaiah  foretold  this  inward  transforma- 
tion, when  he  said :  "Instead  of  the  thorn  shall 
come  up  the  fir  tree;  and  instead  of  the  brier 
shall  come  up  the  myrtle  tree."  Paul  says :  "We 
all  beholding  as  in  a  mirror,  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  are  transformed  into  the  same  image  from 
glory  to  glory."  Step  by  step  it  is  a  gradual 
transformation  of  the  inward  man  into  the  Christ 
likeness. 

That  Which  Is' Born  of  the  Flesh  Is  Flesh. 

Jesus  said :  "That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is 
flesh."  (John  3 :6.)  It  is  flesh  throughout  but  not 
sinful  flesh  until  the  youth  becomes  sinful.  "The 
imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil  from  his  youth." 
(Gen.  8:21.) 

98 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

Evil  from  His  Youth,  Not  from  Childhood. 

Paul  often  speaks  of  the  inward  man  or 
the  inward  state  of  man  as  being  flesh  as 
"fleshy  wisdom,"  "fleshy  mind/'  "when  we  were 
in  the  flesh,"  and  "The  mind  of  the  flesh  is 
death."  "They  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please 
God,"  "But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh  but  in  the  spir- 
it." The  things  that  defile  are  from  within,  not 
from  without.  It  is  the  inward  flesh  or  inward 
man  alone  that  becomes  sinful  and  vile.  When  he 
becomes  sinful,  he  becomes  carnal  and  "to  be  car- 
nally minded  is  death."  (Rom.  8:6,  a.  v.) 
"Carnal  mind"  and  "fleshy  mind"  are  synonymous 
terms,  so  then  "They  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot 
please  God."  (Rom.  8:6,  a.  v.)  Paul  does  not 
have  reference  to  the  outward  flesh,  for,  if  so,  no 
one  on  earth  could  please  God,  but  He  has  refer- 
ence to  the  carnal  mind,  which  "is  enmity  against 
God."  (Rom.  8:7.)  He  speaks  the  same  truth 
in  these  words,  "I  know  that  in  Me,  that  is,  in  my 
flesh  dwelleth  no  good  thing."  (Rom.  7:18.) 
Paul  did  not  claim  inherent  goodness.  He  says, 
"It  is  not  the  children  of  the  flesh  that  are  chil- 
dren of  God."  (Rom.  9:8.)  Not  His  spiritual 
children.  The  birth  of  the  flesh  is  only  the 
groundwork  for  the  spiritual  birth.    It  makes  a 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

mortal,  but  not  an  immortal  man.  Hence  the 
words  of  Jesus,  "Ye  must  be  born  again."  (John 
3:7,  a.  V.) 

"As  we  have  borne  the  image  of  the  earthy,  we 
shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly."  (I  Cor. 
15:49.)  To  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly  is 
made  possible  only  to  those  who  die  to  sin  and  are 
made  alive  to  God.  After  one  is  born  anew  or 
born  of  the  spirit  then  a  warfare  begins.  Paul 
says :  "Walk  by  the  spirit  and  ye  shall  not  fulfill 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  for  the  flesh  lusteth  against 
the  spirit,  and  the  spirit  against  the  flesh."  (Gal. 
5:16,  17.)  Paul  admonished  Timothy  to  "flee 
youthful  lusts." 

Paul  lived  a  victorious  life,  as  all  Christians 
may,  if  they  will  only  let  Christ  live  in  them.  Paul 
said,  "I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ ;  and  it  is 
no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me." 
(Gal.  2:20.)  And  also  "They  that  are  Christ's 
have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the  affections  and 
lusts."  (Gal.  5:24,  a.  v.)  Yet  Paul  knew  that 
the  "old  man"  was  not  absolutely  dead  nor  "the 
body  of  sin"  absolutely  done  away,  for  he  said, 
"I  buffet  my  body  and  bring  it  into  bondage." 
(I  Cor.  9 127.)  And  again,  "Let  not  sin,  therefore, 
reign  in  your  mortal  body  that  ye  should  obey  the 
lusts  thereof"  (Rom.  6:12),  "Knowing  this  that 
100 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

our  old  man  was  crucified  with  Him  that  the  body 
of  sin  might  be  done  away''  (Rom.  6:6),  and 
"Who  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it 
may  be  fashioned  like  unto  His  glorious  body." 
(Phil.  3  :  21.)  All  of  this,  as  we  believe,  has  ref- 
erence to  the  inward  body.  Certainly  he  did  not 
have  reference  to  his  physical  body  when  he  said, 
"Our  old  man  was  crucified  with  Him,  that  the 
body  of  sin  might  be  done  away,"  for  he  says, 
"No  one  ever  yet  hated  his  own  flesh,  but  nour- 
isheth  and  cherisheth  it,  even  as  the  Lord  the 
church. 

A  number  of  things  taken  together  constitute 
a  body.  They  do  not  necessarily  have  to  be  lit- 
eral hands  and  feet,  eyes  and  ears  or  face  and 
mouth.  Although  "God  is  a  spirit,"  yet  He  is 
spoken  of  as  having  all  these  and  other  members 
of  the  body.  The  issues  of  life  are  spiritual  and 
from  within.  Let  it  never  be  forgotten  that  God 
is  a  spirit,  that  His  word  is  spiritual,  and  that 
these  things  are  spiritually  discerned. 

The  Resurrection  Seen  in  Nature. 

As  the  grain  of  wheat  falls  into  the  ground  and 

dies,  it  is  absorbed  or  swallowed  up  by  the  germ 

that  is  within  the  grain,  so  man,  that  is  mortal, 

through  the  precious  promises  of  God,  partakes 

101 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

of  the  divine  nature  and  when  this  begins  to  de- 
velop it  may  be  said  that  he  is  begotten  again, 
"not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible, 
through  the  word  of  God"  (Peter  i :  23.),  and  the 
divine  nature  or  immortal  spirit  within  the  mortal 
man  swallows  up  the  mortal  as  the  germ  swal- 
lows up  the  grain  of  wheat.  In  this  way  the  ''mor- 
tal puts  on  immortality",  or  mortality  is  "swal- 
lowed up  of  life,"  and  "death  is  swallowed  up  in 
victory."  (I  Cor.  15  :  54.)  "Put  ye  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ"  (Rom.  13 :  14),  for  this  also  is  put- 
ting on  immortality. 

There  is  no  living  without  dying. 

Man  must  die  (die  to  sin)  in  order  to  perpet- 
uate his  existence.  As  Christ  has  said,  "Whoso- 
ever would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it."  (Matt. 
16 :  25.)  Our  ruling  love  makes  our  destiny.  Or, 
as  Pope  has  said. 

"One  master  passion  in  the  breast, 
"Like  Aaron's  serpent,  swallows  up  the  rest." 

Paul's  Explanation  of  the  Resurrection, 
Paul  anticipated  questions  concerning  the  res- 
urrection of  the  dead  and  said :  "Some  one  will 
say,  how  are  the  dead  raised  and  with  what  man- 
ner of  body  do  they  come.  Thou  foolish  one, 
That  which  thou  thyself  soweth  is  not  quickened 
102 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

except  it  die,  and  that  which  thou  sowest,  thou 
sowest  not  that  body  that  shall  be,  but  God  giveth 
it  a  body  even  as  it  pleased  Him,  and  to  each  seed 
a  body  of  its  own.  ...  So  also  is  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead.  It  is  sown  in  corruption,  it  is 
raised  in  incorruption :  It  is  sown  in  dishonor; 
it  is  raised  in  glory ;  it  is  sown  in  weakness ;  it  is 
raised  in  power ;  it  is  sown  a  natural  body ;  it  is 
raised  a  spiritual  body.''     (I  Cor.  15.) 

As  we  understand  it,  Paul  is  describing  the  res- 
urrection of  men  dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins, 
not  only  of  his  own  generation  but  of  all  the  suc- 
ceeding generations  until  the  last  man  that  will 
rise  has  risen  from  a  natural  into  a  spiritual  or 
from  a  mortal  to  an  immortal  state. 

When  Paul  says:  "It  is  sown  in  corruption; 
it  is  raised  in  incorruption;  it  is  sown  in  weak- 
ness; it  is  raised  in  power,"  he  has  reference, 
we  believe,  to  moral  corruption  and  to  moral 
weakness,  and  not  to  the  corruption  and 
weakness  of  the  physical  body,  many  millions 
of  which  have  already  returned  to  the  earth  as 
they  were,  for  it  is  declared  that  the  dust  shall 
''return  to  the  earth  as  it  was.''  Peter  says,  "Hav- 
ing escaped  from  the  corruption  that  is  in  the 
world"  (II  Peter  1:4),  and  "Promising  them  lib- 
erty, while  they  themselves  are  bondservants  of 
103 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

corruption"  (II  Peter  2:  19),  showing  that  Paul 
has  reference  to  the  moral  corruption  and  not  to 
corruption  of  the  physical  body,  and  that  corrup- 
tion, weakness,  dishonor,  natural  and  mortal,  ap- 
ply to  the  unregenerated  men  who  are  carnal  and 
not  spiritual.  "It  is  sown  in  dishonor ;  it  is  raised 
in  glory."  There  was  a  period  in  the  apostle's 
own  life  that  was  exceedingly  dishonorable.  He 
says  of  himself,  "That  beyond  measure  I  perse- 
cuted the  church  of  God  and  made  havoc  of  it." 
(Gal.  1 :  13.)  But  after  he  met  Jesus,  while  on 
his  way  to  Damascus,  he  was  a  changed  man.  He 
was  raised  to  walk  in  newness  of  life,  and  hatred 
for  the  church  of  God  gave  way  for  love.  "In- 
stead of  the  thorn  there  came  up  the  fir  tree." 
Paul  was  raised  from  a  state  of  dishonor  to  one  of 
honor  and  glory.  Therefore  he  could  say  from 
experience  that  it  is  "glory,  honor  and  peace  to 
every  man  that  worketh  good."  So  it  is  not 
strange  when  applied  to  the  inward  man  that  he 
said:  "It  is  sown  in  dishonor;  it  is  raised  in 
glory."  It  is  glory  even  in  this  life  to  them  that 
obey  the  Lord.  Paul  says,  "I  have  fought  a  good 
fight."  He  won  the  greatest  of  all  struggles :  He 
conquered  himself. 

"It  is  sown  a  natural  body ;  it  is  raised  a  spirit- 
ual body"  will  be  noticed  farther  on. 
104 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

Irreconcilable  From  a  Literal  Viewpoint. 

From  a  literal  viewpoint  the  doctrine  of  the  res- 
urrection is  irreconcilable,  especially  for  those  who 
look  to  the  future  for  the  second  coming  of 
Christ.  For  example,  it  is  highly  improbable  that 
Paul,  who  was  once  "crucified  with  Christ,"  and 
was  made  alive  with  Him  (and  was  raised  up  with 
Him)  and  walked  in  newness  of  life  with  Him, 
and  made  to  sit  in  heavenly  places  with  Him, 
and  now  dwelling  in  glory  with  Him,  is  waiting 
for  another  resurrection,  is  waiting  for  something 
to  come  from  the  graveyard  to  make  him  com- 
plete. I  cannot  believe  that  his  wants  reach  be- 
yond heaven's  supplies.  That  which  is  born  from 
above  must  be  fed  and  clothed  from  above.  Christ 
came  from  above  and  He  said  unto  His  disciples, 
*'I  have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know  not  of." 

The  physical  body  is  not  necessary  either  to 
preserve  our  identity,  for  it  is  nothing  more  than 
our  earthly,  temporal  dwelling.  "Spiritual  things 
are  spiritually  discerned."     (I  Cor.  2:  14.) 

We  should  not  like  to  think  of  Paul  as  being 
unknown  to  the  great  multitude  which  he  has 
helped  into  our  Father's  house  of  many  mansions. 
Paul's  Desire. 

If  Paul's  expectations  were  realized,  he  has 
certainly  been  fed  and  clothed  and  crowned 
105 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

through  all  the  centuries  since  the  generation  in 
which  he  said,  '1  have  a  desire  to  depart  and  to 
be  with  Christ  (face  to  face),  which  is  far  bet- 
ter." (Phil.  1:23,  a.  V.)  "Willing  rather  to 
be  absent  from  the  body  and  to  be  at  home  with 
the  Lord"  (II  Cor.  5:8),  '^Earnestly  desiring  to 
be  clothed  upon  with  our  house  which  is  from 
heaven."     (II  Cor.  5:2,  A.  V.) 

Paul  declared  that  "We  all  beholding  as  in  a 
mirror  the  glory  of  the  Lord  are  transformed  into 
the  same  image."  If  Paul  by  beholding  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  has  been  transformed  into  the  same 
image,  it  is  obvious  that  he  needs  nothing  from 
this  "terrestrial  ball." 

The  Destiny  of  the  Outward  Man. 
"The  ancient  Egyptians  preserved  the  bodies 
of  their  dead  in  order  to  give  the  soul  a  home  on 
its  return  to  earth."  Yet  with  all  their  skill  those 
bodies  are  crumbling  to  dust.  It  could  not  be 
otherwise,  for  dust  is  their  destiny.  The  destiny 
of  the  outward  man,  as  it  seems  to  me,  was  sealed 
forevermore  when  God  said :  "Dust  thou  art  and 
unto  dust  shalt  thou  return."  O,  brethren  and  sis- 
ters, let  us  teach  a  resurrection  for  the  inward 
man  but  leave  the  outward  man  with  the  temporal 
things,  as  did  Paul,  to  be  "dissolved"  and  to  "per- 
ish." 

106 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   SOURCES   OF  DEATH   AND   THE  RESURRECTION. 

The  Death  of  Adam. 

The  first  man,  Adam,  "was  placed  in  a  fruitful 
garden,  among  fruit-bearing  trees,  and  all  his 
surroundings  were  good  and  beautiful,  for  God 
saw  everything  that  He  had  made,  and  behold,  it 
was  very  good,  and  He  hath  made  everything 
beautiful  in  its  time."  Adam  was  doubtless  as 
good  and  beautiful  as  his  environment,  for  sin  had 
not  yet  entered  into  the  world  to  molest  and  make 
afraid.  And  Jehovah,  God,  commanded  the  man, 
saying,  "Of  every  tree  of  the  garden  thou  mayst 
freely  eat;  but  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it:  for  in  the 
day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  surely 
die."     (Gen.  2:  16,  17.) 

"The  tree  was  planted  and  why  not  for  him  ? 
If  not,  why  place  him  near  it,  where  it  grew 

The  fairest  in  the  center? 
There  can  be  but  one  answer — 
'Twas  His  will,  and  He  is  good." 

— Byron. 
107 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

Nevertheless,  Adam  and  Eve  ate  of  the  forbid- 
den tree  and  ''the  eyes  of  them  both  were  opened," 
and  Jehovah,  God,  said :  "Behold,  the  man  is  be- 
come as  one  of  us,  to  know  good  and  evil."  With 
the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  came  fear  and 
shame — a  state  of  condemnation  which  is  called 
death — the  death  that  all  die  in  Adam,  the  ap- 
pointed death  mentioned  in  Hebrews  9 :  2y,  since 
disobedience  and  death  are  universal  with  the 
human  race.  Paul  said  that  ''In  Adam  all  die." 
(I  Cor.  15  :  22.)  And  again  that  "We  thus  judge, 
that  one  died  for  all,  therefore  all  died."  (II  Cor. 
5:  14.)  Therefore,  as  through  one  man  sin  en- 
tered into  the  world,  and  death  through  sin,  so 
death  passed  unto  all  men,  for  that  all  sinned." 
(Rom.  5:12.)  "And  you  did  He  make  alive, 
when  ye  were  dead  through  your  trespasses  and 
sins."  (Eph.  2:1.)  "So  then  as  through  one 
trespass  the  judgment  came  unto  all  men  to  con- 
demnation, even  so  through  one  act  of  righteous- 
ness the  free  gift  came  unto  all  men  to  justifica- 
tion of  life."     (Rom.  5:  18.) 

The  Christ  Life  a  Deathless  Life. 

In  the  light  of  the  above  Scriptures  may  we  not 
reasonably  conclude  that  Paul  has  reference  to  the 
soul  of  man  and  not  the  house  in  which  it  is  con- 
108 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

fined  ?  The  soul  does  not  surely  die  at  first,  again 
He  "calleth  things  that  are  not,  as  though  they 
were."  (Rom.  4:  17.)  It  is,  however,  under  the 
sentence  of  death  and  if  death  is  not  abolished, 
the  soul  will  surely  die.  Paul  says:  ''Death 
passed  unto  all  men,  for  that  all  sinned."  There- 
fore all  come  under  condemnation  or  the  first 
death,  and  for  this  death  there  is  a  resurrection ; 
for  Paul  says :  "God,  being  rich  in  mercy,  for 
His  great  love  wherewith  He  loved  us,  even 
when  we  were  dead  through  our  trespasses,  made 
us  alive  together  with  Christ,  and  raised  us  up 
with  Him."  (Eph.  2:5,  6.)  This  is  the  death- 
less life.  Christ  said:  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you  if  a  man  keep  My  word,  he  shall  never  see 
death."  (John  8:51.)  Again  He  said :  "Whoso- 
ever liveth  and  believeth  on  me  shall  never  die" 
(John  11:26),  physical  death  being  overlooked 
and  disregarded  in  comparison  with  that  which  is 
the  only  real  death. 

Chris fs  Love  for  Man, 
We  neither  know  how  long  it  takes  "grace"  to 
perfect  the  soul  nor  how  long  it  takes  "sin"  to  de- 
stroy it.  "We  cannot,"  said  Dr.  Hathaway,  "limit 
the  mercy  of  God,  nor  set  bounds  of  space  and 
time  to  His  love  and  compassion."  James  McLeod 
speaks  most  beautifully  of  His  love : 
109 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

"Purer  than  the  purest  fountain, 
Wider  than  the  widest  sea, 
Sweeter  than  the  sweetest  music 
Is  God's  love  in  Christ  to  me." 

Shakespeare  also  says: 
"For  thy   sweet   love   remembered   such   wealth 

brings 
That  then  I  scorn  to  change  my  state  with  kings.'' 

Transforming  Power  of  Jesus, 

"Have  I  any  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wick- 
ed? saith  the  Lord  Jehovah,  and  not  rather  that 
he  should  return  from  his  way  and  live?"  (Ezek. 
i8 :  23.)  "The  Lord  is  long  suffering  not  wishing 
that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to 
repentance."  (II  Peter  3:9.)  "We  ourselves," 
says  Paul,  "have  had  the  sentence  of  death,  with- 
in ourselves,  that  we  should  not  trust  in  our- 
selves, but  in  God  Who  raiseth  the  dead,  Who  de- 
livered us  out  of  so  great  a  death,  and  doth  de- 
liver :  on  whom  we  have  set  our  hope  that  He  will 
also  still  deliver  us."  (II  Cor.  i  :g,  10.)  Paul  had 
passed  out  of  death  into  life ;  he  had  been  "raised 
together  witfi  Christ,"  and  was  walking  in  new- 
ness of  life,  which  is  the  beginning  of  the  resur- 
rection, the  consummation  of  which  is  to  he  like 
Christ  in  mind  and  heart  and  soul.  This  is  the 
110 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

goal  for  which  the  heroic  apostle  suffered  the  loss 
of  all  things  that  he  might  gain:  Although  he 
does  not  wish  to  say  that  he  has  already  attained 
or  been  made  perfect,  he  says :  "I  press  on  toward 
the  goal  unto  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesus."     (Phil.  3:10-14.) 

Oh  blessed  transformation!  Forever  to  be 
adored  is  he  who  is  able  to  make  alive  and  trans- 
form the  truly  penitent  into  his  own  likeness; 
though  he  be  the  lowest,  ugliest  and  meanest  of 
mankind. 

Only  Two  Human  Souls  Created, 

Only  two  human  souls  were  created.  All  others 
are  begotten ;  for  God  gave  to  man  as  well  as  to 
the  lower  order  of  creation  the  power  of  repro- 
duction. 

The  Old  Creation^  Natural  and  Earthy. 

Now,  as  we  understand  it,  man  was  not  created 
spiritual  and  heavenly;  he  was  created  natural 
and  earthy.  (I.  Cor.  15:46,47.)  We  do  not 
have  reference  to  the  physical.  That  which 
makes  him  man  is  not  in  his  physical  body  but 
the  thoughts  and  intentions  of  the  heart  make  him 
such  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Not  until  the  last  Adam  rose  from  the  dead 
111 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

and  "became  a  life-giving  spirit"  could  man  be 
born  anew  and  become  spiritual. 

Not  until  this  new  creation,  is  man  created  in 
the  very  likeness  and  image  of  God  as  it  was  said 
of  His  son.  (Heb.  1:3.)  It  is  the  last,  and  not 
the  first  Adam  that  bears  the  image  of  the  heav- 
enly. "He  calleth  the  things  that  are  not,  as 
though  they  were."     (Rom.  4:17.) 

The  first  is  but  a  natural  likeness.  "That  is  not 
first  which  is  spiritual,"  said  Paul,  "but  that  which 
is  natural."  This  has  never  been  reversed.  "He 
that  is  of  the  earth,  is  of  the  earth,  and  of  the 
earth  he  speaketh."     (John  3:31.) 

The  New  Creation  Spiritual  and  Godlike. 

Paul  declared :  "If  any  man  is  in  Christ,  he  is 
a  new  creature,  the  old  things  are  passed  away." 
(II  Cor.  5 :  17.)  Again  he  says,  "Be  renewed  in 
the  spirit  of  your  mind,  and  put  on  the  new  man, 
that  after  God  hath  been  created  in  righteousness 
and  holiness  of  truth."  (Eph.  4:23,  24.)  This 
is  the  creation  that  makes  the  man  complete  and 
in  the  very  likeness  and  image  of  God.  Until 
this  new  creation,  he  can  neither  turn  the  other 
cheek  nor  go  the  second  mile. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  one 
be  born  anew,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
112 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except 
one  be  born  of  water  ('the  wore/') and  the  spirit, 
he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  That 
which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  which 
is  born  of  the   Spirit  is  spirit/'      (John  3:6.) 

Man  partakes  of  the  divine  nature  through  the 
promises  of  God.  Peter  says,  ''He  hath  granted 
unto  us  His  precious  and  exceeding  great  prom- 
ises ;  that  through  these  ye  may  become  partakers 
of  the  divine  nature."  (II  Peter  1:4.)  Again  he 
says :  ''Having  been  begotten  again,  not  of  cor- 
ruptible seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  through  the 
word  of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth."  (I  Peter 
1:23.) 

"He  came  unto  His  own,  and  they  received 
Him  not.  But  as  many  as  received  Him,  to  them 
gave  He  the  right  to  become  children  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  His  name :  who  were 
born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  (John 
1 :  11-13.)  "Of  His  own  will  begat  He  us  with  the 
word  of  truth.     (James  i :  18.) 

In  the  heart  of  man  there  is  a  longing  for  a 

God,  as  the  Psalmist  exclaimed :    "My  heart  and 

my  flesh  cry  out  unto  the  living  God,"  and  as  St. 

Augustine  said:    "Thou  hast  made  us  for  Thee, 

113 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

O  Lord,  and  restless  are  our  hearts  till  they  re- 
pose in  Thee." 

The  religious  nature  and  the  aspirations  of  a 
soul  after  God  and  holiness  is  certainly  the  most 
precious  thing  in  man,  and  nothing  short  of  the 
bread  and  water  of  life  can  satisfy  the  cravings 
of  his  nature. 

'T  am  the  bread  of  life ;  he  that  cometh  to  Me 
shall  not  hunger;  and  he  that  believeth  in  Me 
shall  never  thirst."     (John  6:35.) 

"No  joy  for  which  the  hungering  soul  has  panted. 
No  hope  it  cherishes  through  waiting  years. 

But  if  thou  dost  deserve  it  shall  be  granted. 
For   with   each   passionate   wish   the  blessing 
nears. 

The  thing  thou  cravest  now  waits  in  the  distance. 
Wrapt  in  the  silences,  unseen  and  dumb. 

Essential  to  thy  soul  and  thy  existence ; 
Live  worthy  of  it,  call,  and  it  shall  come." 

Mortal  and  Immortal. 

"The  first  man  is  of  the  earth  earthy,  the  sec- 
ond man  is  of  heaven."  (I  Cor.  15  147.)  "Ye  are 
from  beneath,  I  am  from  above;  ye  are  of  this 
world,  I  am  not  of  this  world."     (John  8 :  23.) 

Christ's  native  home  is  in  Heaven;  ours  is  on 
114 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

earth ;  He  came  down ;  we  come  up.  Moreover, 
mortality  came  by  the  first  Adam  ;  Immortality  by 
the  second  Adam.  The  descendants  of  the  first 
Adam  die.  They  all  die  in  their  youth — "or  in  the 
day  that  thou  eatest  thereof."  This  being  the  first, 
it  is  not  a  hopeless  death ;  for  the  prom- 
ise of  the  second  Adam  is:  "He  that  be- 
lieveth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he 
live.''  This  is  life  eternal ;  for  he  adds :  "Who- 
soever liveth,  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die." 
(John  II  :25,  26,  a.  v.)  It  is  evident  that  in  this 
conversation  with  Martha  of  Bethany  he  had  no 
reference  whatever  to  physical  death.  He  had, 
as  we  believe,  refernce  to  the  "dead  in  sins,"  and 
to  all  who  are  made  alive  from  that  death.  The 
proof  of  this  may  readily  be  seen  in  the  following 
scriptures:  "You  did  he  make  alive,  when  ye 
were  dead  through  your  trespasses  and  sins." 
"Even  when  we  were  dead  through  our 
trespasses,  made  us  alive  together  with  Christ." 
(Eph.  2:1,  4.)  "That  we,  having  died  unto  sins, 
might  live  unto  righteousness."     (I  Peter  2:24.7 

Sin  and  Death. 

"The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die."     (Ezek. 
18:20.)      This   solemn  truth  occurs   again   and 
again  in  the  Bible,  and  is  to  me  conclusive  evi- 
115 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURI^ECTION 

dence  that  the  penalty  for  sin  is  soul  death,  not  a 
physical  death  for  the  latter,  like  the  earning  of 
bread  by  the  sweat  of  our  face.  This  is  surely  a 
blessing  to  the  human  race,  as  natural  for  man 
as  the  birth  which  gave  him  being.  As  for  the 
animals  which  have  no  sin,  "as  the  one  dieth,  so 
dieth  the  other, — all  go  unto  one  place,  all  are  of 
the  dust,  and  all  turn  to  dust  again.''  (Eccl.  3: 
19,  20.) 

Physical  Death  no  Detriment. 

"O  Death,  the  poor  man's  dearest  friend — 
The  kindest  and  the  best ! 
Welcome  the  hour  my  aged  limbs 

Are  laid  with  thee  at  rest ! 
The  great^  the  wealthy,  fear  thy  blow 

From  pomp  and  pleasure  torn; 
But,  oh !  a  blest  relief  to  those 
That  weary-laden  mourn!" 

— Burns. 

"And  I  am  glad  that  he  has  lived  thus  long, 
And  glad  that  he  has  gone  to  his  reward ; 
Nor  can  I  deem  that  nature  did  him  wrong, 
Softly  to  disengage  the  vital  cord. 
For  when  his  hand  grew  palsied,  and  his  eye 
Dark  with  the  mists  of  age,  it  was  his  time  to 
die."  — Bryant, 

116 


DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

"Death  is  as  sweet  as  the  flowers  are.  It  is  as 
blessed  as  bird-singing  in  spring.  I  never  hear 
of  the  death  of  anyone  who  is  ready  to  die,  that 
my  heart  does  not  sing  like  a  harp.  I  am  sorry 
for  those  that  are  left  behind,  but  not  for  those 
who  have  gone  before."  — Beecher. 

Physical  death  is  the  Christian's  passport  to 
"an  eternal  weight  of  glory." 

Soul-Death  the  Only  Evil. 

There  is,  however,  a  death — a  second  death, 
which  is  the  first  death  unduly  prolonged  on 
which  no  blessing  has  ever  been  pronounced,  a 
death  from  which  there  can  be  no  arising ;  a  sleep 
from  which  there  can  be  no  awakening,  for  after 
that  death  there  is  no  more  life.  "He  that  over^ 
cometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death." 

Paul  says :  "What  fruit  then  had  ye  at  that 
time  in  the  things  whereof  ye  are  now  ashamed? 
For  the  end  of  those  things  is  death."  (Rom. 
6-J21.)  "For  the  wages  of  sin  is  death."  (Rom. 
6:23.)  "For  if  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  must 
die."  (Rom.  8:13.)  "He  that  soweth  unto  his 
own  flesh,  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption." 

James  says  :    "Sin,  when  it  is  full  grown,  bring- 
eth  forth  death."     (James  i  :i5.) 
117 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

"Let  him  know,  that  he  who  converteth  a  sin- 
ner from  the  error  of  his  way,  shall  save  a  soul 
from  death."  (James  5:20.)  Peter  says:  ''But 
these,  as  natural  brute  beasts  made  to  be  taken 
and  destroyed  speak  evil  of  the  things  that  they 
understand  not;  and  shall  utterly  perish  in  their 
own  corruption."  (II  Peter  2:12.)  In  speaking 
of  the  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  Paul  says : 
"Whose  end  is  destruction."  (Phil.  3:19),  and 
again,  "In  them  that  perish,  a  savor  from  death 
unto  death."  (II  Cor.  2  :i6.)  "Wide  is  the  gate 
and  broad  is  the  way  that  leadeth  to  destruction." 
(Math.  7:13.)  "Whosoever  would  save  his  Hfe," 
said  Christ,  "shall  lose  it — for  what  is  a  man 
profited,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  or 
forfeit  his  own  self?"     (Luke  9:24,  25.) 

These  words  of  Jesus  and  of  his  apostles  cer- 
tainly make  it  as  clear  as  words  can,  that  sin,  if 
it  is  not  checked  in  its  development,  will  ulti- 
mately destroy  the  soul.  This  we  believe  to  be 
"the  eternal  punishment,"  "the  eternal  destruc- 
tion from  the  face  of  the  Lord."  God  is  merciful, 
and  nothing  more  merciful  could  befall  the  in- 
corrigible. 

James  says:  "The  Lord  is  full  of  pity,  and 
merciful,"  and  Peter  says :  He  "is  long  suffering 
not  wishing  that  any  should  perish." 
118 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

''Shall  not  the  judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?'' 
Not  alone  in  the  Bible  is  this  question  written, 
but  also  in  the  very  depths  of  the  human  heart. 

Life  is  Begotten  of  the  Belief  in  the  Son  of  Man. 

The  imperishable  life  is  promised  to  those  only, 
who  believe  on  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God. 
"He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  eternal  life; 
but  he  that  obeyeth  not  the  son  shall  not  see  life, 
but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."    (John  3 : 

36.) 

"None  can  keep  alive  his  own  soul.''  (Psalms 
22  \  29,  A.  V.) 

"No  created  thing  sustains  itself." 

As  we  understand  it,  the  Bible  gives  no  assur- 
ance of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  except  through 
faith  in  Him  who  is  the  bestower  of  immortality. 

"Ye  are  all  sons  of  God  through  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus."  (Gal.  3 126.)  But  faith  that  does  not  act, 
is  lifeless ;  therefore,  in  order  to  become  a  living 
son,  one  must  have  living  faith.  The  prodigal 
son  said :  "I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father,"  and 
he  went.    That  is  living  faith. 

"He,  who  will  not  take  the  living  water,  nor 

receive  the  living  bread,  can  have  no  life  in  him. 

If  the  sheep  who  hear  and  know  the  voice  of 

Jesus  receive  eternal  life  and  never  perish,  then 

119 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

obviously  they  who  neither  hear  nor  know  his 
voice  receive  not  the  eternal  life,  but  perish." 

— McLane. 

Life  Outside  of  Christ  is  Doomed, 

In  the  third  chapter  of  Matthew,  John  the  Bap- 
tist says:  "He  will  gather  his  wheat  into  the 
garner,  but  the  chaff  he  will  burn  up  with  un- 
quenchable fire."  "Unquenchable  fire,"  says  Mc- 
Lane, "does  not  denote  inconsummable  fuel,  but 
fire  which  like  the  uncontrollable  blaze  of  a  straw 
fire,  cannot  be  quenched  and  consumes  that  upon 
which  it  feeds." 

In  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Matthew,  Jesus 
says:  "It  is  good  for  thee  to  enter  into  life 
maimed  and  halt,  rather  than  having  two  hands 
or  two  feet  to  be  cast  into  the  eternal  fire." 

In  the  epistle  of  Jude,  which  says  that  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  are  set  forth  as  an  example  suf- 
fering the  punishment  of  eternal  fire  casts  some 
light  upon  the  Scriptural  meaning  of  the  words 
"eternal  fire." 

Although  no  heaven-sent  word  gives  ground 
for  hope,  yet,  we  may  share  with  Tennyson 

"The  wish,  that  of  the  living  whole 
No  life  may  fail  beyond  the  grave." 
120 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CHRIST   THE   SAVIOUR   OF  THE   INNER    MAN. 

Christ's  Mission  and  Character. 

The  Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  ministered  un- 
to but  to  minister ;  he  left  his  glory  and  riches  be- 
hind and  became  the  poorest  of  the  poor,  poorer 
than  the  birds  and  foxes  for  he  had  not  where  to 
lay  his  head.  The  only  crown  he  wore  was  a 
wreath  of  thorns.  Nothing  was  lacking  to  com- 
plete his  humiliation.  A  thief  had  been  pre- 
ferred to  him  and  they  crucified  him  between 
two  thieves.  Moreover  he  came  ''in  the  likeness 
of  sinful  flesh."     (Rom.  8:3.) 

In  the  52nd  and  53rd  chapters  of  Isaiah,  the 
prophet  has  described  the  bodily  appearance  of 
the  lowly  Nazarene,  saying:  "His  visage  was  so 
marred  more  than  any  man,  and  his  form  more 
than  the  sons  of  men.  .  .  .  He  grew  up 
before  him  as  a  tender  plant,  and  as  a  root  out  of 
a  dry  ground ;  he  hath  no  form  nor  comeliness, 
and  when  we  see  him,  there  is  no  beauty  that  we 
should  desire  him." 

This  marred  visage  and  form,  he  took  upon 
121 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

him  (be  it  reverently  said)  to  be  in  the  likeness 
of  sin,  that  he  might  die  to  sin  for  an  example 
unto  all  after  generations,  that  a  death  to  sin  must 
precede  the  resurrection  and  the  life.  How  else 
could  the  Sinless  One  die  to  sin?  That  which 
Moses  lifted  up  in  the  wilderness  to  cure,  was 
shaped  in  the  likeness  of  that  which  wounded. 
Even  so  with  the  Son  of  Man  who  was  lifted  up 
on  the  cross  to  cure  sin  bitten  souls. 

"Him  who  knew  no  sin,  he  made  to  be  sin  on 
our  behalf."    (H  Cor.  5:21.) 

Here,  as  nowhere  else,  the  invisible  things  can 
be  clearly  seen  through  the  things  that  are  made. 

As  Christ  voluntarily  died  to  the  likeness  of 
sin,  so  must  we  voluntarily  die  to  actual  sin. 

Christ  said  of  his  life,  "No  one  taketh  it  away 
from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself." 

He  was  made  to  he  sin  for  us ;  he  died  unto  sin 
for  us,  and  he  rose  from  the  dead  for  us.  "Who 
his  own  self"  said  Peter,  "bare  our  sins  in  his 
own  body  on  the  tree."  (Peter  2 124,  a.  v.)  "And 
he  died  for  all,"  said  Paul,  "that  they  that  live 
should  no  longer  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
Him  who  for  their  sakes  died  and  rose  again." 

"He  was  manifested  to  put  away  sin  by  the 
sacrifice  of  himself." 

122 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

"The  death  that  He  died  He  died  unto  sin 
once/' 

He  "suffered  for  you,  leaving  you  an  example, 
that  ye  should  follow  his  steps." 

He  came  to  be  the  way,  not  simply  to  declare 
it. 

The  human  mind  must  have  God  in  human 
form  and  the  world  must  see  the  cross.  "I,  if  I 
be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto 
myself.''    So  said  the  Savior  of  men. 

The  cross  is  for  all  ages  and  all  countries — the 
cross  is  the  cure  for  human  sin,  for  the  only 
way  to  be  delivered  from  sin  is  to  die  to  it. 

"O  Cross,  that  liftest  up  my  head 
I  dare  not  ask  to  fly  from  thee; 
I  lay  in  dust  life's  glory  dead ; 
And  from  the  ground  there  blossoms  red 
Life  that  shall  endless  be." 

The  Man  of  Sorrows, 

Although  Jesus  bore  our  sins  "in  his  body 
upon  the  tree,"  his  sufferings  were  not  all  of  the 
body,  for  he  "was  a  man  of  sorrows  and  ac- 
quainted with  grief."  He  said  unto  his  disciples 
on  the  night  of  his  betrayal:  "My  soul  is  ex- 
ceeding sorrowful,  even  unto  death."  Paul  says 
123 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

of  him,  "who  in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  having  of- 
fered up  prayers  and  suppHcations  with  strong 
crying  and  tears  unto  him  that  was  able  to  save 
him  from  death,  and  having  been  heard  for  his 
godly  fear,  though  he  was  a  Son,  yet  learned 
obedience  by  the  things  which  he  suffered/' 
(Heb.s.?,  8.) 

Did  he  not  taste  of  the  depths  of  that  deep, 
dark,  godforsaken  feeling  that  sometimes  comes 
over  the  soul  of  one  who  is  without  God  and 
without  hope?  Surely  he  descended  into  the 
depths  of  human  sorrow  and  suffering,  or  He 
could  not  have  tasted  of  death  for  every  man. 
He  is,  therefore,  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our 
infirmities,  "for  in  that  he  himself  hath  suffered 
being  tempted,  he  is  able  to  succor  them  that  are 
tempted. 

The  Meaning  of  Death. 

Paul  says,  "If  then  ye  were  raised  together 
with  Christ,  seek  the  things  that  are  above."  (Col. 
3.  I.)  "For  if  we  become  united  with  him  in  the 
likeness  of  his  death,  we  shall  be  also  in  the  like- 
ness of  his  resurrection ;  knowing  this,  that  'our 
old  man  was  crucified  with  Him,  that  the  body  of 
sin  might  be  done  away"  (Rom.  6:5-6),  which 
body  is  anger,  wrath,  malice,  railing,  shameful 
124 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

speaking,  forjiication,  uncleanliness,  passion,  evil 
desire  and  covetousness.  These  ugly  members 
certainly  make  a  very  vile  body  and  if  not  put  to 
death  will  rob  man  of  his  soul,  and  leave  him  like 
a  beast  to  perish.  The  death  of  all  these  things 
is  the  putting  off  of  the  old  man — the  putting  off 
of  the  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  and  being  cru- 
cified with  Christ.  (See  Col.  2:11,  a.  v.)  'Tut 
to  death,  therefore,  your  members  which  are  upon 
the  earth."     (See  Col.  3 :  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10.) 

The  New  Body. 

But  to  have  love,  joy,  peace,  long  suffering, 
kindness,  goodness,  faithfulness,  meekness,  self- 
control,  is  to  have  our  body  fashioned  anew,  and 
become  "conformed  to  the  body  of  His  glory,"  and 
become  as  little  children,  not  in  mind  but  in  mal- 
ice. 

God  created  human  nature  as  well  as  all  nature ; 
therefore  the  main  traits  in  human  nature  are  al- 
ways the  same. 

Human  nature  itself  is  not  sinful,  else  a  little 
child  would  be  sinful,  and  He  also  who  "took  not 
on  Him  the  nature  of  angels,"  but  the  seed  of 
Abraham. 

125 


DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

"In  nature  there's  no  blemish,  but  the  mind, 
None  can  be  called  deformed  but  the  unkind." 

— Shakespeare. 

The  Two  Bridegrooms  and  the  Two  Brides. 

It  is  essential  that  man's  first  estate  be  natural 
and  earthy  for  he  has  an  earthly  mission. 

The  earth  must  be  replenished,  and  marriage  is 
an  institution  for  replenishing  the  natural  race  of 
man,  and  this  institution  is  as  old  as  the  human 
race.  For  God  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon 
the  first  or  natural  Adam  and  from  his  side  He 
took  a  rib  and  made  for  him  a  natural  bride. 

He  also  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  the  sec- 
ond or  spiritual  Adam  and  from  his  pierced  side 
flowed  the  blood  that  makes  for  him  a  spiritual 
bride. 

The  Inward  Body. 

As  we  understand  it,  Paul  sometimes  calls  the 
inward  man  a  body,  and  in  his  natural,  unregener- 
ate  state,  man  is  called  a  natural  or  mortal  body, 
or  the  body  of  our  humiliation.  When  quickened 
by  the  spirit,  which  is  always  preceded  by  repent- 
ence  and  dying  to  sin,  then  it  is  called  a  spiritual 
body.  But  it  is  only  in  the  making ;  the  trans- 
formation has  begun,  and  if  he  does  no  violence 
126 


DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

to  the  new  nature,  which  is  the  spirit  of  Christ 
within  the  natural  or  mortal  body,  the  spirit  will 
gradually  transform  the  natural  into  a  spiritual 
body,  or  the  natural  man  into  a  spiritual  man.  A 
spiritual  man?  Yes,  after  many  days  when  the 
words  of  his  mouth  and  the  meditations  of  his 
heart  are  acceptable  to  God. 

The  Natural  Man  and  the  Spiritual  Man, 

That  which  is  mortal  is  "swallowed  up  of  life." 
"If  there  is  a  natural  body,"  says  Paul,  "there  is 
also  a  spiritual  body."  He  does  not,  as  I  view  it, 
have  reference  to  the  physical  body,  so  this  is 
equivalent  to  saying  that  if  there  is  a  natural  man, 
there  is  also  a  spiritual  man,  for  he  refers  to  the 
two  Adams  (see  I  Cor.  15  :  42,  49),  the  first  Adam 
a  natural  man ;  the  second  Adam  a  spiritual  man. 
As  we  understand  it,  Adam  did  not  fall  from  a 
spiritual  state  and  become  natural;  he  was  cre- 
ated so. 

That  Paul  speaks  of  the  inward  man  as  a  body, 
and  that  it  may  be  the  dwelling  place  of  the  spirit 
of  Christ,  is  clear  from  the  following  Scriptures. 
"If  Christ  is  in  you,  the  body  is  dead  because  of 
sin ;  but  the  spirit  is  life  because  of  righteousness. 
But  if  the  spirit  of  Him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from 
127 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

the  dead  dwelleth  in  you,  He  that  raised  up  Jesus 
Christ  from  the  dead  shall  give  life  also  to  your 
mortal  bodies  through  His  spirit  that  dwelleth  in 
you."  (Rom.  8:io,  ii.)  "That  ye  may  be 
strengthened  with  power  through  His  spirit  in  the 
inward  man."  (Eph.  3:16.)  "Inward  man"  and 
"mortal  bodies"  evidently  mean  the  same.  Again 
Paul  says :  "Wherefore  we  faint  not ;  but  though 
our  outward  man  is  decaying  yet  our  inward  man 
is  renewed  day  by  day."     (H  Cor.  4:  16.) 

The  Inner  Temple  Man's  Greatest  Treasure. 

So  Paul  speaks  of  an  outward  man  and  of  an 
inward  man,  and  of  a  spirit  in  the  inward  man  or 
body.  He  also  speaks  of  the  inward  man  as  a 
temple.  "Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  a  temple  of 
God,  and  that  the  spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ? 
If  any  man  destroyeth  the  temple  of  God,  him 
shall  God  destroy ;  for  the  temple  of  God  is  Holy, 
and  such  are  ye."  (I  Cor.  3 :  16.)  Thus  we  see 
that  the  inward  man — the  temple — is  holy  because 
of  the  presence  of  the  spirit  of  God,  and  that  the 
temple  can  be  destroyed.  Sin,  unrepented  of,  will 
as  surely  destroy  the  inward  temple  as  leprosy  will 
the  outward  temple. 

In  the  loth  chapter  of  Matthew,  Jesus  bids  men 
not  to  fear  them  who  kill  the  body  but  cannot  kill 
128 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

the  soul ;  rather  to  fear  Him  who  is  able  to  destroy 
both  soul  and'  body  in  hell.  We  believe  Paul  has 
reference  to  the  inward  body  when  he  says, 
"Know  ye  not  that  your  bodies  are  members  of 
Christ?"  (I  Cor.  6:  15)  and  "who  shall  fashion 
anew  the  body  of  our  humiliation,  that  it  may  be 
conformed  to  the  body  of  His  glory."  (Phil. 
3  :  21.)  "Having  our  body  washed  with  pure  wa- 
ter." (Heb.  10:22.)  Nothing  but  the  word  of 
God  can  make  clean  a  defiled  body ;  the  defilement 
is  within  and  nothing  short  of  the  constant  pres- 
ence and  power  of  the  spirit  of  Christ  himself 
can  keep  it  clean. 

But  when  Paul  says  :  "Our  outward  man  is  de- 
caying" (II  Cor.  4 :  16)  and  "We  know  that  if  the 
earthly  house  of  our  tabernacle  be  dissolved" 
(II  Cor.  5:1),  and  when  Peter  says,  "knowing 
that  the  putting  off  of  my  tabernacle  cometh 
swiftly"  (II  Peter  i:  14),  we  are  assured  that 
they  have  reference  to  the  outward  body,  the 
earthy  vesture,  the  tenement  of  clay  borrowed 
from  earth  for  a  little  while. 

The  Death  of  the  Outward  Man  Is  of  Little 
Concern. 

It  is  the  universal  law  that  dust  return  to  dust, 
not  because  of  sin,  but  because  it  is  dust.    "The 
129 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

dust  returneth  to  the  earth  as  it  was."       (Eccl. 
12:7.) 

"When  I  pass  on,  O  friend, 
Let  my  worn  body  blend 
With  common  dust  and  mend 
Its  mortal  ills,  and  be 
Returned  in  bud  and  tree. 

"So  when  I  go  away, 
Let  nature  have  her  sway 
To  resurrect  my  clay 
In  bud  and  bloom  and  leaf, 
Green  blade  and  ripened  sheaf.'* 

— Parker. 

Even  though  it  be  called  death  for  the  earthly 
house  to  be  dissolved  when  the  earthly  task  is 
done,  and  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth,  it  should 
be  esteemed  a  boon. 

"The  best  is  yet  to  be." 

"Precious  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah  is  the  death 
of  his  saints."     (Psalms  16:15.) 

Good  old  Simeon  said :    "Now  let  thy  servant 

depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy 

salvation."    And  Paul,  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ 

and  to  die  is  gain."    John,  the  Revelator,  "heard 

130 


DEATH   AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

a  voice  from  heaven  saying,  'Write,  blessed  are 
the  dead  who  die  in  the  Ix)rd  from  henceforth; 
yea,  saith  the  spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their 
labors ;  for  their  works  follow  with  them."  (Rev. 
14:13.)  But  they  also  remain  for  "A  good  man 
leaveth  an  inheritance  to  his  children's  children.'' 
(Prov.  13:22.) 

"So  long  thy  power  hath  blessed  me,  sure  it  still 
Will  lead  me  on. 
O'er  moor  and  fen.  O'er  crag  and  torrent  till 

The  night  is  gone! 
And  with  the  morn  those  angel  faces  smile 
Which  I  have  loved  long  since,  and  lost  awhile." 

— Newman, 

"Ah,  well!  for  us  all  some  sweet  hope  lies 
Deeply  buried  from  human  eyes, 
And,  in  the  hereafter,  angels  may 
Roll  the  stone  from  its  grave  away." 

— Whittier. 

Death  and  the  Resurrection  of  the  Inner  Man. 

In  his  death  and  resurrection,  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  left  to  man  a  visible  example  of  the  in- 
visible death  and  resurrection  that  must  take  place 
within  all  who  would  overcome  and  sit  down  with 
131 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

Him  in  His  throne,  according  to  the  promise, 
"Thy  dead  men  shall  live,  together  with  my  dead 
body  shall  they  arise."  (Isa.  26 :  19,  A.  V.)  "The 
death  that  he  died,  he  died  unto  sin  once."  "Even 
so  reckon  ye  also  yourselves  to  be  dead  unto  sin." 
"He  showed  himself  alive  after  his  passion  by 
many  proofs."  "God  being  rich  in  mercy — made 
us  alive  together  with  Christ  and  raised  us  up 
with  him."  "The  life  that  he  liveth,  he  liveth  unto 
God."  Present  yourselves  unto  God,  as  alive 
from  the  dead.  His  body  was  sown  a  natural 
body  and  raised  a  spiritual  body.  Ours,  also,  is 
sown  a  natural  body,  and  raised  a  spiritual  body. 
His  body  saw  no  corruption ;  neither  will  ours  if 
the  spirit  of  Him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the 
dead  dwells  within.  His  body  was  not  wholly 
spiritual  when  he  arose  from  Joseph's  new  tomb. 
Neither  is  ours  when  we  emerge  from  entomb- 
ment. 

"Our  Savior  Christ  Jesus,  abolished  death,  and 
brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the 
gospel."     (H  Tim.  i  :io.) 

We  too  may  abolish  death  and 
Live  the  immortal  life  with  Him; 
But  this  way  leads  to  the  cross, 
For  we  too  must  die  to  sin. 
132 


DEATH   AND  THE   RESURRECTION 

Tis  the  only  way  to  conquer  death ; 

The  only  way  to  remove  the  sting ; 
Apart  from  death  to  Sin,  no  newness  of  life, 
No  walking  in  sweet  communion  with  Him ; 

Not  even  seeing  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
Much  less  entering  in ! 


133 


MISCELLANY 


MISCELLANY 

A  MISCELLANEOUS  COLLECTION 


When  Daniel  Webster  made  his  last  visit  to 
John  Adams,  the  aged  ex-President  said :  "I  am 
as  well  as  a  man  of  ninety  could  expect.  You 
see  I  am  afflicted  with  an  incurable  disease — old 
age.  My  house  is  getting  very  shaky  and  so  far 
as  I  can  see,  the  landlord  is  not  going  to  make 
any  more  repairs."  — Selected, 


The  naively  expressed  reasons  which  led  Bun- 
yan  himself  to  hesitate  about  publishing  the  Pil- 
grim's Progress,  are  equally  applicable  to  its  be- 
ing acted;  and  Dr.  MacDonald's  friends  and 
critics  differ  as  widely  in  their  judgment  as 
did  Bunyan's  friends  of  old.    Says  the  author : 

"When  I  had  thus  put  my  ends  together, 
I  showed  them  others,  that  I  might  see  whether 
They  would  condemn  them  or  would  justify. 
And  some  said,  Let  them  live ;  some.  Let  them 
die; 

135 


MISCELLANY 


Some  said,  John,  print  it ;  others  said,  Not  so ; 
Some  said.  It  might  do  good ;  others  said,  No." 

— Selected. 


Most  books,  like  their  authors,  are  born  to  die ; 
of  only  a  few  books  can  it  be  said  that  death  hath 
no  dominion  over  them,  they  live,  and  their  influ- 
ence lives  forever.  — /.  Szuartz. 


The  books  for  all  time  were  written,  as  Ruskin 
again  says,  "because  the  author  has  something  to 
say  which  he  perceives  to  be  true  and  useful,  or 
helpfully  beautiful;  so  far  as  he  knows,  no  one 
has  yet  said  it;  so  far  as  he  knows,  no  one  else 
can  say  it.  He  is  bound  to  say,  clearly  and  melod- 
iously, if  he  may — clearly  at  all  events.  In  the 
sum  of  his  life  he  finds  this  to  be  the  thing, 
or  group  of  things,  manifest  to  him ;  this  the  piece 
of  true  knowledge,  or  sight,  which  his  share  of 
sunshine  and  earth  has  permitted  him  to  seize. 
He  would  fain  set  it  down  forever ;  engrave  it  on 
rock,  if  he  could,  saying.  This  is  the  best  of 
me ;  for  the  rest  I  ate,  and  drank,  and  slept,  and 
loved,  and  hated,  like  another.  My  life  was  as 
the  vapor  and  is  not ;  but  this  I  saw  and  knew ; 
this,  if  anything  of  mine  is  worth  your  memory. 

— Selected. 
136 


MISCELLANY 


Get  the  good  out  of  a  book  without  demanding 
that  it  shall  satisfy  you  in  every  line. 

— Selected. 


They  are  the  best  Christians  who  are  more 
careful  to  improve  themselves  than  to  censure 
others.  — Selected. 


Whatever  a  man  does  to  another  he  does  to 
himself,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil. 

— Hawthorne. 


To  thine  own  self  be  true.  And  it  must  follow, 
as  the  night  the  day.  Thou  canst  not  then  be 
false  to  any  man.  — Shakespeare. 


The  way  to  know  God  is  to  love  and  obey  Him. 
"He  that  doeth  his  will  shall  know  of  the  doc- 
trine." Men  who  stand  aloof  from  a  holy  life 
are  not  capable  of  discussing  wisely  about  God  or 
heaven  or  redemption !  — Wortman. 


The  man  who  is  worthy  of  being  a  leader  of 
men  will  never  complain  of  the  stupidity  of  his 
helpers ;  of  the  ingratitude  of  mankind ;  or  of  the 
inappreciation  of  the  public.  These  things  are  all 
a  part  of  the  great  game  of  life,  and  to  meet  them 
137 


MISCELLANY 


and  not  go  down  before  them  in  discouragement 
and  defeat,  is  the  final  proof  of  power. 

— Elbert  Hubbard. 


The  greatest  man  is  he  who  chooses  the  right 
with  invincible  resolution ;  who  resists  the  sorest 
temptations  from  within  and  without ;  who  bears 
the  heaviest  burdens  cheerfully;  who  is  calmest 
in  storms  and  most  fearless  under  menace  and 
frowns ;  and  whose  reliance  on  truth,  on  virtue 
and  on  God  is  most  unfaltering. 

— Charming, 


Let  every  man  who  believes  he  has  a  message 
speak  out  the  thing  that  is  in  him. 

— Selected. 


Men  who  have  learned  to  nurse  their  souls  on 
truth  in  solitary  meditation  and  communion  with 
the  invisible,  speak  at  length  words  that  men 
must  hear  and  heed.  — Moorhead, 


Let  him  who  would  move  and  convince  others, 
be  first  moved  and  convinced  himself. 

— Carlyle. 
138 


MISCELLANY 

Be  true,  if  you  would  be  believed.  Let  a  man 
but  speak  forth  with  genuine  earnestness  the 
thought,  the  emotion,  the  actual  condition  of  his 
own  heart;  and  other  men,  so  strangely  are  we 
all  knit  together  by  the  tie  of  sympathy,  must 
and  will  give  heed  to  him.  In  culture,  in  extent 
of  view,  we  may  stand  above  the  speaker  or  be- 
low him ;  but  in  either  case,  his  words,  if  they 
are  earnest  and  sincere,  will  find  some  response 
within  us.  As  face  answers  to  face,  so  does 
the  heart  of  man  to  man.  — Carlyle, 


There  is  no  man  who  may  not  learn  something 
from  any  other.  He  who  ordains  praise  from  the 
mouth  of  babes  has  willed  that  the  great  may 
take  lessons  from  the  lowly,  the  cultured  from 
the  unlettered.  No  truth  should  be  rejected  be- 
cause of  the  strange  or  the  unwelcome  form  in 
which  it  may  come.  — Selected. 


Wisdom  is  won  by  the  discipline  of  life  as 
truly  as  by  the  discipline  of  the  schools,  and  many 
a  young  college  graduate  has  learned  by  bitter 
experience  that  he  can  not  afford  to  despise  the 
judgment  of  men  with  less  book  learning,  but 
greater  life  wisdom.  — Rev.  Dr.  Fenn. 

139 


MISCELLANY 

Daniel  Webster  says:  "Knowledge  does  not 
comprise  all  which  is  contained  in  the  large  term 
of  education.  The  feelings  are  to  be  disciplined, 
the  passions  are  to  be  restrained ;  true  and  worthy 
motives  are  to  be  inspired;  a  profound  religious 
feeling  is  to  be  instilled,  and  pure  morality  incul- 
cated under  all  circumstances.  All  this  is  com- 
prised in  education." 


A  man  already  strong  is  listened  to,  and  every- 
thing he  says  is  applauded.  Another  opposes  him 
with  sound  argument,  but  the  argument  is  scout- 
ed, until  by  and  by  it  gets  into  the  mind  of  some 
weighty  person;  then  it  begins  to  tell  upon  the 
community.  — Emerson. 


The  close  observation  of  the  little  things  is  the 
secret  of  all  true  success  in  business,  in  art,  in  sci- 
ence, and  in  every  pursuit  in  life.  Human  knowl- 
edge is  but  the  accumulation  of  small  facts,  made 
by  successive  generations  of  men — the  little  bits 
of  experience  carefully  treasured  up  by  them 
growing  into  a  mighty  pyramid. 

— Smiles. 


140 


MORTALITY 


(From  The  Standard  Dictionary  of  Facts,  edited 
by  Henry  W.  Ruoff.) 

If  we  assume  the  population  of  the  earth  to  be 
one  thousand  millions,  and  a  generation  to  last 
thirty-three  years,  in  that  space  of  time  the  one 
thousand  millions  must  all  die,  and,  consequently, 
the  number  of  deaths  will  be,  by  approximation : 

Each  year 30,000,000 

Each  day 82,107 

Each  hour 3421 

Each  second nearly  i 

One  quarter  of  the  population  die  at  or  before 
the  age  of  7 ;  the  half  part  of  it  die  at  or  before  the 
age  of  17.  One  in  100,000  persons  reaches  the 
age  of  100  years ;  one  in  500  reaches  the  age  of 
90 ;  one  in  100  the  age  of  60. 


To  all  who  are  disposed  to  criticize  you  after 

you  have  decided  to  take  a  given  course,  because 

God  calls  you  that  way,  you  will  be  able  to  say, 

with  Paul:     "With  me  it  is  a  very  small  thing 

141 


MISCELLANY 


that  I  should  be  judged  of  you  or  of  man's  judg- 
ment.   He  that  judgeth  me  is  God." 

— Hyde. 


By  thine  own  soul's  law,  learn  to  live ; 

And  if  men  thwart  thee,  take  no  heed, 
And  if  men  hate  thee,  have  no  care — 

Sing  thou  thy  song  and  do  thy  deed ; 
Hope  thou  thy  hope,  and  pray  thy  prayer, 

And  claim  no  crown  they  will  not  give. 

— Whittier. 


A  pure  heart  at  the  end  of  life,  and  a  lowly 
mission  well  accomplished,  are  better  than  to 
have  filled  a  great  place  in  the  earth,  and  have 
a  stained  soul  and  a  wrecked  destiny. 

— /.  R.  Miller. 


This  truth  comes  to  us  more  and  more  the 
longer  we  live,  that  on  what  field  or  in  what  uni- 
form, or  with  what  aims  we  do  our  duty  matters 
very  little;  or  even  what  our  duty  is,  great  or 
small,  splendid  or  obscure ;  only  to  find  our  duty 
certainly  and  somewhere  or  somehow  to  do  it 
faithfully,  makes  us  good,  strong,  happy,  and 
142 


MISCELLANY 

useful  men  and  tunes  our  lives  into  some  feeble 
echo  of  the  Kfe  of  God. 

— Phillips  Brooks. 


Let  us  beware  of  losing  our  enthusiasm.  Let 
us  ever  glory  in  something,  and  strive  to  retain 
our  admiration  for  all  that  would  ennoble  and  our 
interest  in  all  that  would  enrich  and  beautify  our 
life.  — Phillips  Brooks, 


Sincerity  is  power.  Being  insincere  in  any 
way,  however  slight,  tampers  with  the  sources 
of  power  in  one's  own  soul.  Sincere  thinking, 
sincere  living,  should  be  cultivated  by  every 
young  man  or  woman  who  wishes  to  grow  in 
character.  — Selected. 


Greater    than    intellect,    greater    than    gold, 
greater  than  the  world  a  noble  character. 

— Selected. 


If  happiness  has  not  its  seat 

And  center  in  the  breast. 
We  may  be  wise,  or  rich,  or  great. 

But  never  can  be  blessed. 

— Selected. 


MISCELLANY 

It's  the  little  things  you  can  do  quietly  to  make 
others  happy  that  bring  in  the  largest  returns, 
that  pile  up  a  bank  account  where  no  cashier  nor 
robber  can  get  at  it. 

— Youth's  Companion, 


When  one  is  sad  and  out  of  sorts  for  any  cause 
whatever,  there  is  no  remedy  so  infalible  as  trying 
to  make  somebody  else  happy. 

— Carnev- 


Those  who  bring  sunshine  into  the  lives  of 
others  cannot  keep  it  from  themselves. 

— /.  M.  Barrie. 


It  is  the  trying  that  saves  us  rather  than  per- 
fect belief  or  perfect  doing.  — Heath. 


Resolved,  never  to  do  anything  which  I  should 
be  afraid  to  do  if  it  were  the  last  hour  of  my  life. 

— Jonathan  Edwards. 

THE  IDEAL  LIFE 

Better  than  praise  and  better  than  gold, 
And  better  than  rank  by  a  thousandfold. 
Is  the  bloom  of  health  with  a  mind  at  rest, 
144 


MISCELLANY 

And  peace  at  home  as  a  loving  guest. 
To  have  a  heart  that  is  warm  within, 
To  live  a  life  unstained  by  sin, 
To  dare  the  right  with  a  courage  bold. 
Is  better  than  hoarding  piles  of  gold. 

— Virgil  A.  Pinkley, 


Every  time  we  keep  silent  under  insult,  and 
loving  and  sweet  under  irritation  and  provocation, 
we  have  made  it  easier  for  all  about  us  to  do  the 
same.  — /.  R.  Miller, 


Whoso  keepeth  his  mouth  and  tongue, 
Keepeth  his  soul  from  troubles. 

— Prov. 


Deal  gently  with  the  old,  for  they  have  come  a 
long  way;  and  be  kind  to  the  young,  for  they 
have  a  long  journey  before  them. 

— Selected. 


Whoever  wills  to  do  the  great  things  of  the 
Bible  finds  them  still  true.  — Selected. 


The  standard  of  morals  must    become    ever 
higher  and  purer  as  the  years  go  by  until  we  come 
145 


MISCELLANY 

"to  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of 
Christ."  —Selected. 


A  well-governed  mind  learns  in  time  to  find 
pleasure  in  nothing  but  the  true  and  the  just. 

— Amiel, 


There  is  an  upward  lift  which  every  man  has 
upon  his  own  soul  and  life.  A  man  cannot  lift 
himself  by  his  boot-straps,  but  he  can  tremend- 
ously lift  himself  by  his  purpose. 

—Bishop  McDowell,  D.  D, 


HIS  LOVE— IT  PRECEDED  OURS 

Some  years  ago  two  gentlemen  were  riding  to- 
gether, and  as  they  were  about  to  separate  one 
addressed  the  other  thus:  "Do  you  ever  read 
your  Bible?"  "Yes,  but  I  get  no  benefit  from  it, 
because,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  feel  I  do  not  love  God." 
"Neither  did  I,"  replied  the  other,  "but  God  loved 
me."  This  answer  produced  such  an  effect  upon 
his  friend  that,to  use  his  own  words,  it  was  as  if 
one  had  lifted  him  off  the  saddle  into  the  skies. 
It  opened  up  to  his  soul  at  once  the  great  truth 
that  it  is  not  how  much  I  love  God,  but  how  much 
God  loves  me.  — Selected, 

146 


MISCELLANY 


WHEN  HE  IS  OLD 


A  celebrated  theological  professor  of  Princeton 
was  asked  by  a  skeptic :  '^Doctor,  how  do  you  ex- 
plain this  ?  You  say  that  'Train  up  a  child  in  the 
way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it/  Now,  how  do  you  account  for 
the  fact  that  your  Bill  is  such  a  dissipated  fellow  ?'' 
The  doctor  replied :  "The  promise  is,  when  he  is 
old  he  will  not  depart  from  it.  Bill  is  not  old  yet !" 
Subsequent  years  have  shown  the  wisdom  of  the 
doctor's  faith.     Bill  is  old  now,  and  a  Christian. 

— Talmage. 


''He  shall  give  you  another  comforter." 

"I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless :    I  will  come 

to  you." 

The  comforter  is  only  Christ  in  another,  more 

spiritual,  more  universal  form. 

— Selected, 


God  chooses  conscious  weakness  as  the  chan- 
nel of  the  spirit's  power.  — Pierson. 


God  is  love  and  therefore  all  His  outgoings  are 
lovely  and  loving.    The  stream  is  as  the  spring. 

— Selected. 
147 


MISCELLANY 


THE  BIBLE 


There  are  men  that  are  all  the  time  afraid  that 
something  will  happen  to  the  Bible.  I  should  be 
if  I  had  no  more  faith  than  they  have  in  it.  There 
is  a  mountain  not  far  from  my  dwelling  in  the 
country,  and  I  never  got  up  in  the  night  to  see  if 
it  had  not  been  stolen  by  somebody.  Near  by  rolls 
the  old  Hudson,  and  I  never  said  to  myself  on 
going  to  bed,  "How  do  I  know  that  before  morn- 
ing somebody  will  not  run  down  with  a  quart  pot 
and  carry  off  that  river !''  Now,  to  me,  the  Bible 
stands  as  firm  as  mountains  stand,  and  it  is  in  as 
little  danger  of  being  overthrown  as  mighty  rivers 
are  of  being  carried  off  in  a  quart  pot.  I  am 
never  afraid  that  the  Bible  will  be  laid  aside.  I  am 
never  afraid  of  its  being  superseded.  I  feel  a 
certainty  that  it  belongs  to  God,  that  it  is  indis- 
pensable to  man,  and  that,  however  much  it  may 
be  neglected  or  run  against,  it  will  take  care  of 
itself,  and  maintain  its  rightful  place. 

— Beecher, 


There  is  absolutely  nothing  that  man  cannot 

do  without,  except  God.    With  Him  happiness  is 

possible  anywhere  and  always.    In  deepest  perils 

and  darkest  prisons,  in  the  languor  of  sickness 

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MISCELLANY 

and  the  loneliness  of  sorrow,  in  the  narrow  house 
of  poverty  and  the  fiery  furnace  of  pain,  on  the 
cross  of  disgrace  and  in  the  black  shadow  of 
death,  men  and  women  have  been  happy  be- 
cause God  was  with  them.  Yea,  they  have  sung 
praises  so  that  the  other  prisoners  have  heard 
them.  — Henry  VanDyke. 


God  cannot  live  in  a  heart  which  has  become 
the  home  of  hate.  Either  God  or  hate  must  go. 
And  hate  will  have  to  go,  if  God  is  graciously  be- 
sought to  remain.  — Shannon. 


God  allures  men  from  before  with  rewards, 
and  scourges  them  from  behind  with  poverty,  ad- 
versity and  trouble.  Just  as  one  shepherd  car- 
ries a  little  salt  in  advance  of  the  flock,  and  the 
other  marches  behind  with  a  crook  and  a  shep- 
herd dog.  —N.  D.  Hillis. 


He  who  from  zone  to  zone 

Guides  through  the  boundless  sky  thy  certain 
flight 
In  the  long  way  that  I  must  tread  alone 

Will  lead  my  steps  aright. 

— Bryant. 
149 


MISCELLANY 

We  can  do  without  praise;  we  are  better  off 
without  it.  But  I  do  not  think  many  of  us  can 
do  without  appreciation.  If  those  who  really  care 
for  us  take  some  notice  of  it  when  we  are  trying 
to  do  our  best.  I  think  that  is  one  of  God's  great 
ways  of  making  us  Hve  our  Hfe  well. 

— Selected, 


No  man  is  strong  in  a  crisis  unless  he  has  been 
gathering  strength  during  a  long  period  of  prep- 
aration. — Selected. 


We  need  the  balance  of  the  two.  Mind  means 
reason,  thought;  heart  means  feeling,  affection, 
purpose.  The  law  must  be  written  in  both.  We 
cannot  trust  ourselves  to  feel  our  way.  We  must 
know  it.  We  cannot  trust  ourselves  to  know  our 
way,  we  must  feel  it. 

— McKenzie  in  Homiletic  Review, 


There  are  few  things — whether  in  the  outward 
world,  or,  to  a  certain  depth,  in  the  invisible 
sphere  of  thought — few  things  hidden  from  the 
man  who  devotes  himself  earnestly  and  unre- 
servedly to  the  solution  of  a  mystery. 

— Hawthorne, 
150 


MISCELLANY 


There  is  no  defeat  except  from  within.  There 
is  really  no  insurmountable  barrier  save  your  own 
inherent  weakness  of  purpose.  — Emerson. 


Even  Vergil  said:     "A  man  can  do  anything 
that  he  believes  he  can." 


"The  hills  are  dearest  which  our  childish  feet 
Have  climbed  the  earliest,  and  the  streams  most 

sweet 
Are  ever  those  at  which  our  young  lips  drank, 
Stooped  to  its  waters  o'er  the  grassy  bank." 

— Selected. 


Truths  would  you  teach,  or  save  a  sinking  land : 
All  fear,  none  aid  you,  and  few  understand. 

— Pope,  in  ''Essay  on  Man.'' 


The  highest,  the  ideal  right  must  be  always  mis- 
understood and  opposed,  because  the  world  is 
like  an  army  on  the  march.  The  vanguard  that  is 
leading  is  the  few,  the  seers,  those  who  see  and 
who  care;  and  the  great  majority  follow  on, 
slowly,  unconsciously,  perhaps.  But  they  oppose 
these  men  that  disturb  them  and  call  them  to  some 
higher  and  grander  thing  than  they  are  able  as 
yet  to  appreciate.  And  so,  since  the  world  is  grow- 
151 


MISCELLANY 


ing,  he  who  cares  for  the  highest  things  must  ex- 
pect to  be  alone,  must  expect  to  be  misunderstood. 
Must  expect  to  be  opposed  and  thwarted. 

— Minot  J.  Savage. 


"Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged."  Why 
should  a  man  who  advances  a  new  view  on  any 
subject  have  his  intelligence,  his  loyalty  to  religion 
and  even  his  moral  purposes  challenged?  Differ 
we  may  and  must,  but  why  should  we  seek  to  read 
one  another  out  of  the  counsels  of  religion,  by  dis- 
paragement, sinister  interpretation  of  motives  and 
bitterness  of  personal  characterization  ? 

— Ed.  Homiletic  Review. 


MISJUDGING  PEOPLE 

Speaking  of  how  we  often  misjudge  people's 
motives,  and  how  sometimes,  because  we  see  at 
the  moment  but  a  part  of  what  they  are  about,  we 
reach  harsh  conclusions,  a  Western  correspondent 
relates  the  following  incident,  which  occurred  at 
an  auction:  "Among  the  lots  put  up  for  sale 
was  one — 'A  pretty  pair  of  crutches.'  In  the 
crowd  was  a  poor  crippled  boy,  and  the  crutches 
were  just  the  thing  for  him.  He  was  the  first  to 
152 


MISCELLANY 

bid  for  them.  An  elderly,  well-dressed  man  bid 
against  him.  There  were  cries  of  'Shame! 
Shame!'  in  the  crowd.  The  boy  bid  again,  and 
so  did  the  old  gentleman ;  the  boy  bid  all  he  had, 
but  the  old  gentleman  outbid  him  once  more, 
and  the  poor  little  lad  turned  away  with  tears  in 
his  eyes.  The  crutches  were  knocked  down  to 
the  elderly  man,  who,  to  the  great  surprise  of 
all,  took  them  to  the  poor  little  cripple  and  made; 
him  a  present  of  them.  The  crowd  were  now  as 
enthusiastic  in  their  praise  as  they  had  been  in 
their  abuse. — Christian  Intelligencer. 


Attack  is  the  reaction ;  I  never  think  I  have  hit 
hard  unless  it  rebounds.        — Samuel  Johnson. 


To  get  people  to  change  their  minds  is  one 
thing,  to  get  them  to  change  their  lives  is  another 
and  much  more  serious  thing.  — Hodges. 


"Even  that  which  he  hath  shall  be  taken  away." 
That  is  the  original  endowment  of  which  he  made 
no  use.  — Selected. 


To  live  om,  even  when  life  seems  a  failure  and 
the  comforts  of  life  are  gone;  to  count  patient 
153 


MISCELLANY 

living  the  real  living,  with  or  without  comfort- 
that  is  to  be  truly  brave.         — Phillips  Brooks, 
At  every  trifle  scorn  to  take  offense, 
That  always  shows  great  pride,  or  little  sense. 

—-Pope. 


If  we  could  read  the  secret  history  of  our  ene- 
mies, we  should  find  in  each  man's  life  sorrow 
and  suffering  enough  to  disarm  our  hostility. 

— Longfellow, 


For,  alas !  alas !  with  me 

The  light  of  life  is  o'er ! 

No  more — no  more — no  more — 
Shall  bloom  the  thunder-blasted  tree, 

Or  the  stricken  eagle  soar ! 

—Poe. 


LEAD,  KINDLY  LIGHT 

Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  th'  encircling  gloom 

Lead  Thou  me  on! 
The  night  is  dark,  and  I  am  far  from  home ! 

Lead  Thou  me  on! 
Keep  Thou  my  feet !    I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene!  one  step  enough  for  me. 
154 


MISCELLANY 

I  was  not  ever  thus,  nor  pray'd  that 
Thou  shouldst  lead  me  on ! 

I  loved  to  choose  and  see  my  path ; 

But  now,  lead  Thou  me  on ! 

I  lov'd  the  garish  day,  and,  spite  of  fears, 

Pride  ruFd  my  will.    Remember  not  past  years! 

— Newman. 


MUSIC 


Of  all  the  arts  beneath  the  heaven 
That  man  has  found  or  God  has  given, 
None  draws  the  soul  so  sweet  away, 
As  music's  melting,  mystic  lay ; 
Slight  emblem  of  the  bliss  above. 
It  soothes  the  spirit  all  to  love. 

— James  Hogg. 


I  WOULD 

I  would  we  grew  more  gentle  day  by  day ; 
I  would  that  smiles  more  often  came  to  play 
About  our  lips,  to  dwell  within  our  eyes ; 
I  would  that  we  could  see  in  God's  fair  skies 
More  oft  the  blue  and  not  the  somber  gray ; 
I  would  we  grew  more  flowers  on  life's  way. 
155 


MISCELLANY 

I  would  we  grew  less  swift  to  chide  and  blame ; 
I  would  we  used  more  oft  love's  other  name, 
And  that  our  hearts  grew  daily  yet  more  kind ; 
I  would  we  were  more  oft  a  little  blind ; 
And  in  our  homes  and  on  the  crowded  street 
I  would  we  heard  the  coming  of  his  feet. 

I  would  we  grew  more  like  a  little  child ; 
I  would  our  spirits  were  as  pure  as  mild, 
And  that  the  childlike  faith  might,  too,  be  ours; 
I  would  in  all  life's  dark  and  lonely  hours 
We,  too,  might  put  our  hand  in  his  and  say, 
"Fm  not  afraid ;  my  Father  knows  the  way." 
— Irene  E.  Engleman  in  Christian  Observer. 


If  love  but  one  short  hour  had  perfect  sway, 
How  many  a  rankling  sore  its  touch  would  heal. 

How  many  a  misconception  pass  away ; 

And  hearts  long  hardened  learn  at  last  to  feel. 

What  sympathies  would  wake,  what  feuds  decay, 
If  perfect  love  might  reign  but  one  short  day. 

— Selected. 


O  little  town  of  Bethlehem, 
How  still  we  see  thee  lie! 

Above  thy  deep  and  dreamless  sleep 
The  silent  stars  go  by; 
156 


MISCELLANY 

Yet  in  thy  dark  streets  shineth 
The  Everlasting  Light ; 
The  hopes  and  fears  of  all  the  years 
Are  met  in  thee  to-night. 

— Phillips  Brooks. 


WAIT  FOR  THE  MUD  TO  DRY 

Father  Graham  was  an  old-fashioned  gentle- 
man, beloved  by  every  one,  and  his  influence  in 
the  little  town  was  great,  so  good  and  active  was 
he.  A  young  man  of  the  village  had  been  badly 
insulted  and  came  to  Father  Graham  full  of  angry 
indignation,  declaring  that  he  was  going  at  once 
to  demand  an  apology.  "My  dear  boy,"  Father 
Graham  said,  ''take  a  word  of  advice  from  an  old 
man  who  loves  peace.  An  insult  is  like  mud — it 
will  brush  off  much  better  when  it  is  dry.  Wait 
a  little,  till  he  and  you  are  both  cool  and  the  thing 
is  easily  mended.  If  you  go  now  it  will  be  only 
to  quarrel."  It  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  add  that 
the  young  man  took  his  advice,  and  before  the 
next  day  was  done  the  offending  person  came 
to  beg  forgiveness.  — Selected. 


The  love  of  earthly  things  is  only  expelled  by 
157 


MISCELLANY 


certain  sweet  experience  of  the  things  eternal. 

— Selected, 


Some  one  has  said,  A  definite  aim  is  the  great- 
est thing  in  the  world  after  health  and  love. 

— Selected. 


To  err  is  human,  to  forgive  is  divine. 

—Pope: 
The  speeches  of  one  that  is  desperate  are  as 
wind.  — Job. 


He  who  tells  a  lie  is  not  sensible  how  great  a 
task  he  has  undertaken  for  he  will  be  forced  to 
invent  twenty  more  to  maintain  that  one. 

— Dean  Swift. 


The  other  day  we  observed  that  a  man,  to  be 
remembered,  must  leave  with  the  wbrld  some 
word  of  writing  or  a  spoken  thought  that  takes 
deep  root  in  the  lives  of  men.  We  are  now,  since 
reading  the  news  of  the  first  engagement  of  the 
new  war,  inclined  to  believe  that  General  Sher- 
man was  immortalizing  his  name  when  he  said 
that  war  was  hell.  — Selected. 

158 


MISCELLANY 

CONSCIENCE 

There  is  no  witness  so  terrible,  no  accuser  so 
powerful,  as  conscience,  that  dwells  in  every 
breast.  — Polybius. 

What  we  call  conscience  or  moral  sense  is  a 
complex  organization.  It  is  the  sentiment  of  con- 
science harmoniously  educated  and  co-operating 
with  a  man's  reason.  It  is,  therefore,  the  ordi- 
nary thinking  mind  acting  in  reference  to  certain 
spheres  of  things  in  consonance  with  the  emotion 
of  conscience,  which  is  the  emotion  that  inspires 
pain  or  pleasure  in  view  of  things  which  are  sup- 
posed to  be  right  or  wrong.  And  conscience  is 
so  blind  that  if  you  think  a  thing  to  be  wrong 
which  is  as  right  as  the  throne  of  God,  you  will 
feel  bad  in  the  commission  of  it.  And  if  you  think 
a  thing  to  be  right  which  is  as  wrong  as  wrong 
can  be,  that  conviction  being  strong  in  you,  con- 
science will  go  on  to  that  side.  Conscience  has 
no  interpreting  power  except  indirectly.  It  is 
the  reason  that  interprets.  Conscience  follows 
with  its  sanction  and  stamps  the  decisions  of  rea- 
son with  pleasure  or  with  pain,  with  approbation 
or  with  disapprobation,  when  they  pertain  to 
moral  conduct.  I  do  not  mean  that  conscience  is 
159 


MISCELLANY 

a  Divine  interpreter;  for  I  do  not  believe  that 
there  is  any  such  conscience  as  that.  I  believe 
that  conscience  is  precisely  like  any  other  emotion. 
It  determines  what  is  right  and  wrong  by  what 
the  understanding  says  is  right  or  wrong.  Con- 
science is  an  emotion  that  acts  concurrently  with 
intellect,  and  then  gives  force  to  that  which  the  in- 
tellect judges  to  be  right  or  wrong.  And  it  gives 
pleasure  or  pain,  according  to  the  nature  of  that 
which  is  selected  as  right  or  wrong. — Beecher. 


So  far  as  doctrines  and  duties  are  concerned, 
not  conscience,  but  the  revealed  Word  of  God,  is 
our  one  and  only  sure  and  safe  directory. 

— Guthrie. 


Conscience  has  been  compared  to  a  clock,  and 
the  law  of  God  to  the  sun.  The  clock  is  right 
only  when  it  keeps  time  with  the  sun.  And  so  it 
is  with  the  conscience.  It  is  a  safe  guide  only 
when  it  is  directed  by  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord.  — F,  W.  Richardson. 


If  it  cost  too  much  to  be  a  zealous  and  success- 
ful Christian,  it  will  cost  infinitely  more  to  live 
and  die  an  impenitent.  — Selected. 

160 


MISCELLANY 


Bible  religion  costs  self-denial;  sin  costs  self- 
destruction.  — Theodore  L.  Cuyler,  D.  D. 


I  have  come  to  believe  myself,  in  the  probable 
annihilation  of  those  who  nevet*  respond  to  God's 
offer  of  forgiveness,  those  who  never  believe  in 
Christ  and  take  Him  as  their  Savior.  It  seems 
probable  that  the  Bible  teaches  that  the  word 
"Death,"  as  applied  to  the  soul  that  always  re- 
fuses to  repent,  is  a  death  that  means  total  ex- 
tinction. ...  I  cannot  interpret  the  use  of 
such  a  text  as  we  have  to-day  to  meany  anything 
less  than  that  "the  wages  of  sin  is  death."  What 
do  these  words  mean,  if  not  plainly  what  they 
say  ? — the  extinction  of  life,  the  utter  going  out  of 
the  flame  that  was  meant  to  ascend  higher  and 
brighter  and  purer  on  the  altar  of  man's  worship 
of  his  Creator  and  Redeemer. 

— From  Sermon  by  Dr.  Charles  M,  Sheldon. 


AMERICA. 

(In  all,  four  verses.) 

My  country !  't  is  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty, 
Of  thee  I  sing ; 
161 


MISCELLANY 

Land  where  my  fathers  died, 
Land  of  the  pilgrim's  pride ; 
From  every  mountain  side, 
Let  freedom  ring. 

My  native  country !  thee, 
Land  of  the  noble  free, 

Thy  name  I  love: 
I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills ; 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills 

Like  that  above. 

— Smith, 


LOVE  OF  COUNTRY 

(From  "The  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,"  by 
Sir  Walter  Scott.) 

Breathes  there  the  man  with  soul  so  dead, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said : — 
"This  is  my  own,  my  native  land !" 
Whose  heart  hath  ne'er  within  him  burned. 
As  home  his  footsteps  he  hath  turned 
From  wandering  on  a  foreign  strand? 
If  such  there  breathe,  go,  mark  him  well; 
For  him  no  minstrel  raptures  swell ; 
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MISCELLANY 

High  though  his  titles,  proud  his  name, 

Boundless  his  wealth  as  wish  can  claim ; 

Despite  those  titles,  power,  and  pelf, 

The  wretch  concentered  all  in  self. 

Living,  shall  forfeit  fair  renown, 

And,  doubly  dying,  shall  go  down 

To    the    vile    dust,    from    whence    he    sprung, 

Unwept,  unhonored,  and  unsung. 


CONVERSION 

A  man  that  waits  for  a  more  convenient  sea- 
son for  thinking  about  the  affairs  of  his  soul  is 
like  the  countryman  in  Aesop's  fable  who  sat 
down  by  a  flowing  river,  saying,  "If  this  stream 
continues  to  flow  as  it  does  now  for  a  little  while 
it  will  empty  itself,  and  I  shall  walk  over  dry- 
shod/'  Ah,  but  the  stream  was  just  as  deep  when 
he  had  waited  day  after  day  as  it  was  before. 
And  so  shall  it  be  with  you.  — Spurgeon, 

Thus  do  the  organs  of  the  physical  or  material 
body  cover  over  and  blunt  and  obscure  the  senses 
of  the  spiritual  body  within.  But  as  soon  as  these 
outward  coverings* are  removed,  or  lifted,  then 
do  the  senses  of  the  spiritual  body  come  into  act- 
ive operation,  and  the  scenes  of  the  eternal  world 
become  both  audible  and  visible.  — Selected. 
163 


MISCELLANY 

THREE  VERSES  OF  "AFTON  WATER" 

How  pleasant  thy  banks  and  green  valleys  below 
Where  wild  in  the  woodland  the  primroses  blow ; 
There  oft  as  mild  evening  weeps  over  the  lea, 
The  sweet-scented  birk  shades  my  Mary  and  me. 

Thy  crystal  stream,  Afton,  how  lovely  it  glides, 
And  winds  by  the  cot  where  my  Mary  resides : 
How  wanton  thy  waters  her  snowy  feet  lave, 
As  gathering  sweet  flowerets  she  stems  thy  clear 
wave. 

Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton,  among  the  green  braes. 
Flow  gently,  sweet  river,  the  theme  of  my  lays ; 
My  Mary's  asleep  by  thy  murmuring  stream, 
Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton,  disturb  not  her  dream. 

— Burns. 


BEREAVED 

Dear  little  hands,  I  miss  them  so ! 
All  through  the  day  wherever  I  go — 
All  through  the  night  how  lonely  it  seems. 
For  no  little  hands  wake  me  out  of  my  dreams. 
I  mi3s  them  all  through  the  weary  hours 
I  miss  them  as  others  do  sunshine  and  flowers. 
164 


MISCELLANY 

Day-time  or  night-time  wherever  I  go, 
Dear  little  hands  I  miss  them  so. 

— Selected. 

^     

CONTENTMENT 

Is  it  raining,  little  flower? 

Be  glad  of  rain. 
Too  much  sun  would  wither  thee. 

'Twill  shine  again. 
The  sky  is  very  black,  'tis  true, 
But  just  behind  it  shines  the  blue. 

Art  thou  weary,  tender  heart  ? 

Be  glad  of  pain ; 
In  sorrow  sweetest  things  will  grow. 

As  flowers  in  rain. 
God  watches,  and  thou  wilt  have  sun 
When  clouds  their  perfect  work  have  done. 

— Emerson, 


LAST  WORDS  OF  A  DYING  SOLDIER 

"Can  I  do  anything  for  you?"  said  an  officer 
in  one  of  our  gory  battles  in  America,  during  that 
awful  conflict,  to  one  of  the  lads  in  blue,  whose 
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MISCELLANY 

life  was  trickling  away  upon  the  green  sward. 
"Nothing/'  said  the  dying  soldier,  ''nothing!" 
''Shall  I  get  you  a  little  water?"  "No,  thank 
you,  I  am  dying."  "Is  there  nothing  I  can  do?" 
said  the  officer;  "shall  I  write  a  letter  to  your 
friends?"  "No,  I  have  no  friends  that  you  can 
write  to.  But  there  is  one  thing  I  should  be  much 
obliged  to  you  for.  In  my  knapsack  you  will 
find  a  Testament;  open  it  at  the  14th  chapter  of 
St.  John,  and  near  the  end  you  will  find  a  passage 
that  begins  with  the  word  T'eace' ;  please  read 
it."  The  officer  took  up  the  blood-stained  hav- 
ersack, took  out  the  Testament,  and  turned  to  that 
chapter  that  your  pastor  and  myself  have  read 
so  often,  or  held  up  so  often  as  a  lamp  in  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death — the  matchless  14th 
chapter  of  John;  and  he  read:  "Peace  I  leave 
with  you ;  My  peace  I  give  unto  you.  Not  as  the 
world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart 
be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be  afraid."  "Thank 
you,  sir,"  said  the  dying  man;  "I  have  got  that 
peace ;  I  am  going  to  that  Saviour."  And  wing- 
ing its  way  from  the  poor  bleeding  body,  the 
spirit  ascended;  and,  as  Noah  stretched  out  his 
hand  to  the  dove,  the  infinite  Love  grasped  him 
and  drew  him  in.  For  him  to  die  was  Christ ;  for 
him  to  die  was  gain — gain  everlasting. — Cuyler. 
166 


MISCELLANY 


BOOK  OF  GOD 


Precious,  precious,  thrice  precious  Book  of  God. 
It  can  cheer  when  every  other  comforter  is  far 
away.  It  has  running  streams  and  sparkling 
fountains  and  deep  wells  at  which  he  who  drinks 
shall  find  living  water. 

— Selected, 

Father,  I  thank  Thee ! — Christ, 


167 


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